Unexpected Little Things
by Jettara1
Summary: Viggo is only good to Krogan if he can be controlled and to do that Viggo must be defenseless. But Viggo was never one to be controlled. When he discovers Krogan's plot he takes the Dragon Eye. Now Viggo is in a race for his life, bit can he rely on Hiccup and the riders to protect him as his mind and body becomes that of a child
1. Chapter 1

Winter was in the air. It was crisp and shocking, the northern winds having picked up during the night to deposit the first flakes of snow in the early morning. It wasn't all out snowing yet but it was only a matter of days before the isles would be blanketed in white. Winter wasn't the best season for hunting dragons bit Viggo normally enjoyed the reprieve the winter months often gave. At this time the Hunter ships would normally head home and be removed from the water for repairs while Ryker prepared the ice breaker to go out and keep the trading channels open. His brother was rarely gone from home for more than a day or two during Winter and spent most of his time with his family, time he never had in the warm season.

That felt like a life time ago, maybe another life entirely. Viggo was no longer sure. His head felt like mush. He had woken up feeling sick, sicker than he had in years. He had no fever, of that he was certain, but the left side of his face ached worse than usual, the normal burning and tingling of his scar sensing an excruciating jolt through his skull. It filled him with the need to vomit and for the first time since the awful day of his fall he found himself calling out for his brother, like a scared child afraid of the dark. But Ryker didn't come. Ryker would never come for him again. He was gone now, lost at sea. Dead by Viggo's command.

A strange guilt filled Viggo, something he had no clue how to handle, and so the chief waited and hoped that maybe it had been some awful dream and his brother was still alive. It weird and wistful and eventually Viggo had to shake himself back to reality. Whatever he had been drinking with Krogan and Johann the night before had to be stronger than what he was accustomed, which would be odd since he didn't often allow himself to partake in anything stronger than wine. Viggo was not one to allow himself to have a hangover in the morning. He hadn't had one since his youth. Yet this was surely a hangover to out do all hangovers. He felt nauseous, lightheaded and the urge to vomit had yet to subside.

Getting to his feet, he stumbled toward the basin on a side table to fill it with water. The table seemed high we than it should, the water jug slightly out of reach. Viggo stared at it for a long moment as his mind tried to rationalize why everything looked out of sorts even though there were exactly where he put them.

Then he tripped over his pant legs and fell on his rear with a small surprised cry.

His groggy mind awoke with a jolt at the strange sound that escaped him and his hands automatically slapped over his mouth in shock. That was not his voice, he reasoned, the sound he heard far too high. But even as he thought this he discovered other new and unusual things amiss. For one, his clothing were far too large for him, the sleeve of his night shirt hanging off one shoulder and trousers tangled around his feet and sliding off his narrow waist. His vantage point was now much lower as if…

"Ryker…" he whispered, although unsure why he was calling for his dead brother. His voice was definitely not his own.

He shakily got to his feet, his trousers sliding right off and he no longer caring, and made his way to the was basin. The water jug felt absurdly heavy and large in his hands as he poured just enough liquid in the basin that he would have a reflection. The lighting was dim, coming only from the small opening within the tent from the sunlight outside but it was just enough to see by. What stared back at Viggo with big brown eyes and a scarred little face was not a grown man and chief or the Dragon Hunters but rather a small boy of only five or six.

Shocked, Viggo stumbled back and once more fell on his rear having overturned the table and knocking both the basin and jug to the floor with a loud crash. His heart raced as he tried to understand. It wasn't possible. It had to be some trick of the light. There was no possible way for what he saw to be real.

He looked at his hands but they were now small and bushy and baby soft. The left was still scarred and the burns were tough and angry but the rest was like that of a child. His legs bore no hair, at least not the dark hairs their once did but instead a soft down that was near invisible.

"This is impossible," he breathed, touching his face and neck. His scars were still there but his beard was gone and he had no stubble. His hands shook in fright as he tried to understand how he could possibly be a child once more. There was no magic powerful enough to do such a thing. It was impossible. And even if there was such a way why would the gods do this to him. It made no sense. Worse, he didn't know who to turn to for help.

Nonetheless, Viggo was a logical man. He was still a chief and he could not hide in his tent all day and ponder what had happened. He needed a cure and that would lay with either Krogan or Johann. One of them had done this to him. Of that he was certain.

With a grumpy scowl, he took a pair of trousers from his chest, sliced the length of the legs by half, and pulled them on, making sure to tie the waist tight with twine, then shrugged on his now oversize tunic which could have passed for a dress, and trudged outside.

"Where's Krogan?" he demanded, glaring up at the guard in from of his tent. It took a moment or two before it hit him that he normally didn't have guards posted before his tent but it seemed his mind was having trouble keeping up with what was going on. No doubt the drug slowly him down as well as de-aging him.

"You better tell Krogan he finally woke up," one guard told the other. The other man nodded and took off while the first quite literally knelt before the now child size Viggo.

Viggo felt the urge to kill him.

"You best wait inside, little one," the guard said, as if truly speaking to a child.

Viggo's eyes widened. "I beg pardon? Do you have any clue who I am?"

A disturbing grin lifted the guards lips. "I know who you were, and I know what you no linger are. Now get in there and sit still like a good boy." He stood and gave Viggo a hard shove back into the tent.

The child Viggo stumbled and for the third time found himself on his rear. Not awake a half hour and already fell three times. Viggo was anything but happy. He felt a small sob build in his throat and swallowed it down. He couldn't let whatever had happened to him take control. He had to think clearly. Obviously the guard knew what had happened and sent for Krogan, which meant Krogan knew what happened, which meant it was done on purpose and someone, most likely Krogan, had drugged him with some strange potion. But why? Why turn him into a child? Children were mousey and messy and not at all logical, except for him. Viggo was always logical, Ryker used to complain about it all the time. He used to say Viggo always thought ten steps ahead before taking one.

Viggo shook his head, trying to dispel thoughts of his older brother.

Krogan must have thought he could control a child Viggo better than the man. Well Krogan had another thing coming then.

Grabbing a few small knives that were light enough for his now smaller size, Viggo tied them to his outer thighs then wrapped the remaining fabric from his cut trousers around his feet as make shift shoes. Then he grabbed the Dragon Eye and shoved it down his tunic so it settled against his newly were a belt tied the oversize tunic in place. If Krogan and Johann wanted the Dragon Eye and all its knowledge then they had to restore him to his proper size and age or he'd simply hide it somewhere where no one would ever find it. Or he'd give it to Hiccup. Let Krogan and Johann fight the riders for it.

He waited only a heartbeat longer then peeked his head under the back flap to see if there were anymore guards. Seeing none he darted out toward the other tents then off into the forest. He had to hide the Eye and then maybe, if luck was with him, find a dragon that would let him ride it. Dragons like kids, right?

. . .

Krogan was a bounty hunter before much else. He knew the moment Viggo realized what had happened to him he'd bolt with the Dragon Eye. The guards were meant merely to alert him if the former Hunter Chief awoke before the potion took full effect which appeared to be the situation. He wanted to keep Viggo useful without the constant struggle and Viggo high and mighty attitude. The man was brilliant but Krogan patience for him was running thin. A child would be manageable. A child Krogan could control and manipulate. That brilliant mind would still be intact but it would be Krogan's to mold, and in turn Drago's to use as necessary. All Krogan needed was a few more hours for the adult side of Video to be subdued by the new child side. Which meant they now had to hunt him down and lock him up until the transformation was complete. At least the little bastards could fight anymore. Subduing him should be easy.

Flyers took to the air while Krogan led a ground party, his red Singetail in tow. The boy couldn't have gotten far.

"I want minimum damage," he ordered his men. "Hurt him, break a bone, but I want him alive."

The men acknowledged the order, each more than happy to hurt Viggo, even if only a little. Even if he was reduced to the form of a child.

. . .

The problem with trying to track down the Dragon Hunters was that they moved camped every week or so and rarely went to the same island twice. They pretty much swooped in, took what dragons they wanted and were gone again. Activity had peaked as the cold started moving in. Dagur explained it was due to them getting ready to wrap up for the season, which meant one more auction before the Hunters disappeared for the winter. Dagur was a well of knowledge when it came to the Hunters. Not so much about Viggo but he had learned a lot from Ryker and in an odd way still looked up to the elder Grimborn. They had had common ground as big brothers trying to deal with eccentric little brothers, or so Dagur said. Hiccup and Heather would exchange a look and keep any commit they had between themselves. There were days when Dagur was overprotective of them both but made sure they knew it was for different reasons, not just because he was the eldest – which he also used from time to time.

Now they flew together scooting out the northern islands as the others flew to the east and west, each group staying high enough to avoid any possible sneak attack from Flyers while searching for Hunter ships or their new base of operations.

"I'm just saying, if you're trying to avoid the big fancy wedding your father no doubt has planned that I can do a quickie," Dagur offered yet again, almost desperate to officiate over Hiccup's and Astrid's wedding. "We can do it on the Edge. No one has to know. And then when you're ready do the big one on Berk. That way you're officially married and it's done with."

"I'm sure Astrid would be all for that," Heather interjected with a roll of her eyes. "Why not wait until the next battle and have it then. Nothing says 'I love you' than a good battle."

Dagur brightened up. "See, she gets it."

Both Heather and Hiccup laughed. Dagur didn't always get sarcasm.

Hiccup shook his head. "First my Dad would kill me for doing such a thing and then you for suggesting it."

Dagur shrugged. "Stoick just doesn't get me."

"Not many people do, Dagur," Hiccup confessed honestly.

The Berserker gave another shrug, kind of used to being the odd ball of the group. "That's why I have you two."

Hiccup wasn't sure how to take that. It had been months since Dagur stopped being their enemy and became their friend. In a lot of ways it was still new to all of them while also feeling strangely like this was how things were always meant to be, as if Dagur had always been a rider but needed more time than the others to realize. Now he was where he belonged. Their little group was complete, or at least it felt like it. At least Hiccup didn't feel scared by Dagur anymore. He's presence amongst the other riders was even soothing at times, as if he had becomes everyone's big brother, even if some refused to admit it.

They were approaching a cluster of islands when Toothless gave a warble in warning. Hiccup turned his thoughts away from Dagur to focus on the island they were approaching. Sure enough there were fliers in the air but they were low over the island, as if searching for something or someone.

"I see them, bud," he assured, petting his dragon's head. "Let's just observe them for now. We'll double back and get the others shortly." But he did take note of the island and sketched it into his notebook so he could find it again later. He'd add it to his every growing map as soon as they got back to the Edge.

"Ah…Hiccup, I think you might want to take a look at this " Heather called as she watched the Fliers through her spy glass. She threw it to Dagur while Hiccup pulled out his own spy glass.

Hiccup's heart leapt into his throat in shock. The Fliers weren't just looking for anything, they were chasing a kid. Why on Earth would they be after some kid?

Krogan and his men were murderers, that much Hiccup knew. He wasn't about to let them hurt a child. "Cover us," he told Dagur and Heather. "Let's get them, Toothless."

. . .

Usually Viggo thought of himself as very cunning and able to get out of just about any situation with his wits alone. Right now all of that was failing him. He was running as fast as his now little body would carry him. His feet hurt, the fabric around them ripping where it got snagged by rocks, and his knees started from tripping over a root he should have been able to step over. Krogan's men were close behind him. Any one of them could have grabbed him by now. Krogan himself was walking at a leisurely pace not far behind him. The Fliers were above him and pretty much had him surrounded. Internally Viggo knew he was defeated and should simply give up but he kept running and stumbling as if escape was just feet away. Krogan was trying to tire him out. He knew it. The man wasn't as stupid as he looked. Whatever he had planned he needed Viggo in a weakened state. And Viggo was weaker, his mind kept slipping from rational to child like panic. He couldn't make sense of his thoughts. He wanted to scream and cry. He want to fight and kill.

A familiar sonic scream filled the air and a moment later Viggo found himself flying forward in the air as a plasma blast hit the ground directly between him and a Hunter. Viggo landed hard, his knees scraping the rocky terrain. He gave a choked sob at the sudden sting, his mind delving into that of a small child. It lasted but a moment, a moment when he wanted to call out for his mother or father or even his big brother. A moment when was hurt and needed protection. He shook it off, reminded himself he wasn't really a child, that he was a grown man, chief of the Dragon Hunters, a logical and strategic man who didn't succumb to childishness. But fear filled him at the roar of dragons closing in around him. There was yelling and blasts of fire, the clang of swords and metal. Then someone was picking him up and cradling him to their chest as they climbed onto a dragon and took to the sky.

For a moment vertigo hit Viggo and his stomach twisted as vomit burned the back of throat. He fought it back and tried to clear his head. Was he just captured? He fully expected Krogan to do horrible things to him now that he could. He expected to be tortured and forced to hand over the secrets of the Dragon Eye. Fear and anger and hurt and exhaustion tugged at him as he looked up from the chest he was pressed against.

His breath hitched as his gaze met that of curious green eyes. "Hiccup," he breathed in awe. He blinked, frightened for one horrible moment that he couldn't explain. He kept his left side hidden as best he could, certain the Dragon Rider would dump him in the ocean if he knew just who he had saved. Then exhaustion took hold. His eyes closed and his head rested against Hiccup's chest and Viggo's world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: this will hold spoilers to season 6 of rtte.

When Viggo awoke he was laying on a plain wooden cot with a heavy fur blanket pulled up to his chin and a small cushion under his head. The room was dark but seemed oddly familiar. He knew he had never been in it before, at least not while it was whole. His mind wandered, trying to make sense as he sat up on the cot and looked around. There was a stone slab to the left, near the edge of the room, and an opening to what appeared to be stairs. Voices could be heard beyond, on the lower floor. They too were familiar but not that of Hunters. They were softer, younger. That in itself seemed odd, but not nearly as bad as falling off the cot when his feet failed to meet the wooden floor.

He landed hard on his knees with a start and gave a small cry that was not his own.

He was still a child, Viggo realized. It had not been some strange hallucination cause by his last battle with his Hunters. He vaguely remembered that before waking up the first time in this condition but now it came flooding back. He had been fighting alongside a Skrill, distracting the Hunters, giving Hiccup and Toothless a chance to escape. He had been injured, shot multiple times by arrows. He was dying, he knew that, that's why he so willing sacrificed himself for Hiccup. He had charged his Hunters with his dying breath while the Skrill let loose the most powerful electrical blast he had ever witnessed.

He should have been dead but he remembered waking briefly to Johann leaning over him and something bitter being forced done his throat.

"He may be useful to us still," the former trader had purred before darkness consumed him. Then there was Krogan and pain and…

And Viggo had woken up as a child and was running for his life. But why would Johann leave the Dragon Eye in his tent?

The answer came to him in the form of a young man and ebony Night Fury he never thought he would see again. His breathed shuddered and mouth open but Viggo couldn't form the words he needed to say. Just one. If he could just say one then maybe Hiccup would understand.

Instead a sudden need to be held hit him and the urge sent him back paddling when Hiccup reached out for him. He wanted Ryker, not Hiccup. Where was Ryker? Why wasn't he there? Ryker was dead, you killed him, he reminded himself and the thought almost brought him to tears. His emotions kept swinging, no longer under his control.

"Hey…hey there," Hiccup said in a gentle voice, withdrawing his hand when the child spotted away from him. "It's okay. You're safe now."

All Viggo could do was stare at him. How could he possibly be so naïve? After all that had happened, how could Hiccup possibly believe they were safe? He could form the words he wanted. He couldn't tell Hiccup the truth of who he was or how he could have possibly survived. They were there but trapped within him and instead Viggo closed his eyes a d let a rogue tear roll down his ruined cheek. Didn't Hiccup recognize him? Weren't the scars enough to tell him that he was Viggo Grimborn trapped in this small body?

What came out of him was a raw emotion he hadn't felt in ages. "I want my brother," a tiny voice said in place of Viggo's. He gave a sniffle, unsure why the urge to cry was suddenly so strong. He felt empty inside, like a hug whole had opened and something large and overbearing was missing. He vaguely remembered that feeling from when he was little and Ryker had gone with their father on his first dragon hunting expedition. He was gone a long time. A very long time in which Viggo would sit on the docks waiting for his ship to return. They weren't very close, always disagreeing and butting heads, but without him Viggo was alone.

"Did they capture him, too?" Hiccup asked, cautiously moving toward him, as if he were some sort of dragon that might bite him.

Viggo supposed it was only right. He must look like some wild child, his clothing soiled and the upper left side of his body scarred leaving one eye blind. He fought back the strange emotions and shook his head. "No, he died," he answered, unable to help the way he sniffles and eyes stung with tears. He had to get himself under control. Sitting on the floor crying like an infant was unbecoming of a warrior such as himself.

Hiccup hand clasped his small shoulder and Viggo stared at it in shock. He wasn't sure how to react or what to say but stomach churned at the sympathetic look Hiccup gave him. "I'm sorry. If I had known the Hunters were stealing children…"

Viggo gasped at him. Hiccup truly Didn't know who he was. He should be grateful, he could easily manipulate him and his riders. Instead he felt hurt and angry.

But Hiccup saw none of that. Instead he helped the now child Viggo stand. Oh gods, he was so small compared to Hiccup now, barely coming to the young man's hip. This wouldn't do. He needed to return to his proper size and age before whatever Krogan and Johann had done to him became permanent.

"Can you walk? Do you want me to carry you?" Hiccup asked, a hand still oh so gently on the child's shoulder.

A spark of anger filled Viggo. He may be in a child's body but he was not a child. He was a man and he would be damned if he let anyone carry him around. He pulled away from Hiccup and stomped his little feet across the wooden floor to the stairs. The staircase was narrow and steep and…yeah, maybe he should rethink Hiccup's offer just this once and let him help. After all they were on the same side now and despite having slept for Thor knows how long he was still tired. But the stubborn grown up side squashed that thought and began making the climb down.

There was strange mix of thrill and fear at seeing the main floor filled by the other dragon riders and Toothless. Viggo froze on the last step as the dragon looked him over. Did he know? Did he remember Viggo's scent or had that changed along with his body. Children Didn't have quite the same scent when they became adults. The musk wasn't as potent. Nonetheless he stood still when the dragon neared, unsure if he would be taken as friend or foe. The last time they met they fought side by side.

Toothless gave him a thorough sniffing. First his face and scar, making sure to study his dark brown eyes, and then the rest of him, his snout poking the boy's belly. A sound between a squeak and light pitch giggle escaped Viggo as he was lifted off his feet, his upper half now on the dragon's head. He would have covered his mouth in embarrassment if he arms Weren't presently clinging to the wedge shaped head in hopes of not falling off.

"Toothless, careful, bud," Hiccup reprimanded, lifting the boy off his dragon and carrying him to a low work table. "This little guy's been through a lot."

Viggo bit back a retort as he was sat on the table. The riders moved toward him, surrounding the table and their leader. Fear came crashing over Viggo, an alien feeling that had him shrinking back from them.

"Who are you?" Astrid asked, quickly followed by Heather.

"Where did you come from?"

"Duh, he's obviously some Hunter's kid," Snotlout scoffed.

"Whoa, narley scar," Ruffnut hummed appreciatively.

"Yeah, what got you?" her twin asked.

Dagur pushed past them and studied the scars. "Someone tortured him," he snapped in an authoritarian voice. He got a little closer than Viggo ever wanted him to be, and studied the melted and twisted flesh with a troubled frown. "Who the Hel would do such a thing to a little kid?" he wondered aloud.

"They're a few months old," Heather observed. "Who did this to you?"

Viggo glanced toward Hiccup and opened his mouth then promptly closed it. If he told them the truth they would likely kill him or exile him and in his present state it was unlikely he could survive on his own in the wilderness.

"Give him some room," Hiccup suddenly ordered, shooting his friends away, all but Astrid. She was watching Viggo with keen blue eyes that seemed to reach right into Viggo. She was the one Viggo would have to watch out for.

"Heather, are there any leftovers?" Hiccup asked, trying to get the riders to focus on their guest's needs rather than who he was or where he came from. There was lots of time for that.

She gave a nod and knowingly called the twins to help her. "I'll make a fresh pot of soup. He looks like he can use a hot meal," she called over her shoulder. "Snotlout, you think you can fashion him some warm clothes?"

Snotlout perked up at the idea of a sewing project. He eyed the little boy, silently taking measurements in his head, then headed to his hut to find extra fabric. He had a lot of leather and wool from his last project.

"What do you want me to do, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup hesitated a moment. "Maybe a cot, something he can sleep on at night. I'm pretty sure he's going to be staying with us for a little while. At least until we find his parents."

Viggo looked away. His parents? His father had died years ago. His mother…he wasn't sure if she was alive or not. It had been almost a year since he last spoke with her. She was not a young woman anymore.

"Oh…" Hiccup breathed, misreading the sadness in the child's eyes. "Ah…well…we'll not worry about that right now."

Viggo looked up in surprise. He would never have expected Hiccup to drop such a topic so easily. But the surprise soon faded when Hiccup showed him the Dragon Eye. Another wild mix of emotions ruled over Viggo for a moment and he fought back the urge to snap the artifact out of Hiccup's hands.

"How did you get this?" the rider asked, awe and concern mixed in his voice. "This is what Krogan and his men were chasing you for." It was a statement, not a question.

The child swallowed and stared at the device. "Yes," he answered honestly. "But I didn't steal it. It's mine."

Dagur strolled toward the table, his arms folded across his chest. "How is it yours? That thing belongs to…" His voice faltered when the boy looked at him. Dagur's eyes narrowed and he studied the child's one good eye before his own eyes widened in surprise. "Oh…Hiccup, you got a minute?"

"Make it fast, Dagur. He hasn't eaten anything since we saved him this morning," Hiccup answered, handing the Eye to Astrid. He followed the Berserker to the front of his hut, constantly glancing back at Astrid and the strange child. "What's wrong?" he asked his brother when they were finally out of earshot.

"Don't you think It's a little strong that the Hunters would be chasing that kid?" Dagur asked in a harsh whisper.

"If he stole the Dragon Eye from Johann…" Hiccup began, glancing back to the boy again. He couldn't help the uneasy feeling he had leaving him alone with Astrid. She could take care of herself but still…

"But why steal it?" Dagur continued. "Isn't there something a little off about him? About those scars? Why would the Hunters torture a kid like that. Even Alvin wouldn't go that far."

"I don't know," Hiccup confessed. The scars did look awfully familiar but who was to say what Krogan or even Johann was capable of.

"I have a theory."

"Go on."

"You're going to think it's crazy."

"You're marrying Mala. Crazy sailed out of here a long time ago."

Dagur gave him a dark look and Hiccup quickly apologized. Dagur and Mala were in love, no matter how odd and crazy it seemed, or how different the two leaders were from one another.

"Just hear me out," Dagur said, giving Hiccup a warning look that clearing said to shut up and listen. "Look at him. I mean really look on him. Not the scars but the unblemished side. Doesn't he remind you of someone?"

He did. Hiccup couldn't deny it. The child looked like Viggo. He didn't say anything thing. He wasn't sure what to say. The boy could easily be a Grimborn, either Viggo or Ryker's son. He knew Ryker had children. The revelation had come only months ago and was still shocking, so who was to say that this child wasn't one of his or that maybe Viggo had a family of his own back on Hunter Island.

"It doesn't matter. If Krogan is after him then it's our job to protect him and the Eye," he said firmly. "If they tortured him like this then Odin only knows what else they might do to him."

Dagur's head bobbed up and down in agreement. "Should I send Terror mail…"

"Not just yet," Hiccup interjected. "Let's give the little guy a chance to orient himself before anyone else gets involved. He may be able to help."

"He's five," Dagur pointed out. He rolled his eyes in exasperation as Hiccup wandered back over to the boy.

When the twins announced that food was ready, Viggo never expected to be so hungry or for Heather to have such skill as a cook. He ate everything she put done before him. His stomach felt empty and he ate his fill and then Some, surprising the riders but making Heather smile brightly. He had never seen her smile before, not a real smile at least and he smiled widely back at her. There was no restraint or lie behind it. He was simply happy because his belly, which had previously been empty, was now full.

At some point he forgot who he was, his mind slipping from being an adult trapped in a child's body to truly being that of a child. He ate what must have been his third bowl of mutton soup while kicking his little feet and taking breaks to sip at yak milk. Hiccup seemed happy just sitting and watching him, no longer asking inane questions about who he was or where he came from. Viggo guard came done the longer he was left to his own thoughts which were quickly becoming silly as he wondered whether Toothless could catch him if he jumped off the edge of the platform with one of Hiccup's Dragon Fly contraptions that the rider had mentioned to Ruffnut only minutes ago. He thought of flying free like a dragon, no worries, no chiefdom, free as a dragon.

"Okay, he has to have a name," Snotlout suddenly blurted out. He leaned against the far wall and glared at the boy who had stolen all the mutton. "We can't just call him kid or hey you."

Viggo dipped his roll into the last of his soup, finally starting to fill full. "Viggo," he chirped absently. He dragged his finger through some spilled soup and began drawing on the table with it. "My name is Viggo. V.I.G.G.O. My brother used to just call me Go, but I think that's because he thought I was always in his way."

Silence filled the clubhouse as the riders stopped what they were doing to stare at the boy but Viggo didn't seem to notice.

"Viggo?" Astrid asked, glancing from the child to Hiccup.

Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. Surely they didn't hear right, or maybe Viggo was a common name for someone with half their face burned off. "Viggo? So uh…What's your father's name?"

"Ryker," the boy answered, his focus on the soup drawing he was making.

Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, so this was Ryker's son. No doubt he named the boy after his brother. It just seemed completely out of the ordinary that the child would have the exact same scar on the exact same side of his face as Viggo Grimborn the elder. Was that even possible? The alternative seemed even less likely and there was no way Hiccup was about to voice the thought nagging in the back of his mind.

"You shouldn't muck with your food," Astrid suddenly said, an edge to her voice. She took the now empty bowl and wiped down the table with a rag.

The child was instantly devastated. "I was drawing!" he insisted.

"You were mucking," she countered.

"No, I was drawing drag…"

"Hey…hey…whoa…how about we find some parchment and charcoal and then you draw whatever you want and keep it," Hiccup soothed, spotting the first sparkle of tears in the boy's eyes.

Astrid shot him a disapproving look but Hiccup returned it with a small shrug before taking the child by the hand and leading him back to his hut.

"She really is more ruthless than you," Viggo said absently, his grown up mind warring to get to the forefront, if even for only a moment.

Hiccup froze mid step on the catwalk and stared down at the boy in shock. "What did you just say?"

But as quickly as it had happened it was gone and the child was yawning widely. "I'm tired," he murmured instead.

The boy had slept the majority of the day. Hiccup hated the idea of letting him sleep again for fear of him being up all night. But Viggo was already beginning to doze off, his steps faltering. Not sure what else to do, Hiccup scooped the boy up and carried him the rest of the way. At least now there was a cot for him to sleep on.

The little one wrapped his arms around Hiccup, his little face snuggling against the youth's neck. Hiccup smiled fondly at him, idly wondering if this was what it would be like when he and Astrid had their own child. He wanted kids. Not just yet of course, but one day he wanted to have a family, two or three kids. He could already picture himself carrying them to bed when they were too tuckered out to go on their own.

"Hiccup," a little voice murmured, Viggo's head slack on his shoulder.

"Hmmm?" He didn't remember telling the boy his name, which was rather rude of him. No doubt he had learned it from listening to everyone speaking to him.

"Did the Skrill survive? I couldn't find it when I escaped Krogan's men." Viggo's arms fell lumpy to his side's as sleep tugged him away again. He didn't notice how rigid Hiccup became or the sheer horror on the young man's face. He fell into that deep black void again and he supposed it was for the best. His mind and body were at war and it felt as if his mind was losing.


	3. Chapter 3

For a while Hiccup just stared at the child in his arms. He had to have heard wrong. It had to be the boy's name that was making him imagine things. It wasn't possible for what he thought was said to be said. The mere concept nagged at his subconscious. There was no such thing as magic. His father said as much throughout his life. Just as there was no such thing as Trolls or Elves. Alright, maybe that was just his father's voice in the back of his mind. Hiccup had always believed in Trolls and Elves even if he had never seen them. Gobber claimed he had but then that was Gobber, and Gobber had always been fond of telling tall tales. So had Johann.

The thought of Johann made Hiccup hug the child tighter to his chest. If any of Johann's stories had ever been true than he would know whether magic existed or not and where to go to find a magic user or potion that would turn a grown man to a child and…

"Stop It," he told himself, trying to think things out logically. Even if there was magic and potions and so forth, why change Viggo Grimborn of all people into a child when they had been trying to kill him? It made no sense of either Johann or Krogan to do such a thing. A child, while seemingly defenceless, were not easy to control, as he had learned with the Dragon Explorers not so long ago. Johann must have been a complete fool to do something like this…assuming it was even possible.

He vs e a small laugh. Now he was being a fool. Such magic was impossible. Krogan must have kidnapped the boy and his brother and tortured them, killing the older of the two and this one just managed to escape…with the Dragon Eye and clothing that was obviously far to large, with knives expertly tied to his outer thighs. Hiccup had questioned that almost the moment he had picked the boy up. Maybe someone had helped him. That had to be it. Some on had tried helping him and must have been caught but the boy got away. It wasn't as if Viggo was a unique and unheard of name.

But why ask about the Skrill? Only Hiccup and Viggo, the man Viggo, had known about the Skrill staying behind to battle the Hunters.

"You walked right past your hut," Astrid announce with a small laugh as she came up next to him.

Hiccup blinked in surprise, discovering he had gone right past his hut and was headed toward Dagur's. He wasn't sure why; Dagur was still at the clubhouse with Heather.

"Oh…" he murmured dumbly.

Astrid was smiling at him but her gaze was settled on the boy in his arms. She glanced up at her betrothed, that smile never wavering. "You look tired, why don't I take him for a while."

"No!" Hiccup gasped, not meaning to. He fumbled to explain when she stared at him in shock and confusion. If this was Viggo Grimborn, the actual Viggo Grimborn, small or not he might try to use Astrid against him again. "I mean…sorry. It's just…ah…if he is the son of either Viggo or Ryker then Krogan will be after him. Best to keep him in one place with one person so that we're not uhm…fumbling around trying to find him if they attack."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she studied his face. "That sort of makes sense," she answered. Then her eyes widened and for a moment Hiccup feared she may be seeing the same thing he had. It was the furthest thing from the truth.

"You're not practicing to be a father?" she suddenly asked.

His own eyes widened in surprise. "Oh…ha…ha…you caught me. I just kind of like the idea of one day carrying our own," he confessed. It was a part truth at least.

She nodded in understanding. "Well we still a lot of time before that happens." She leaned forward to brush a kiss against his cheek, absently stroking Viggo dark hair while doing so in an almost motherly way.

Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah…yeah…lots of time for that," he babbled. "Can you ask Snotlout to hurry with the clothing…at least the trousers. I can fashion a tunic?"

She gave a small nod.

He waited until she left on Stormfly before hurrying to his cabin. He locked the door the moment he and Toothless were inside with their young charge. Hiccup was certain he was losing his mind. He had to have been hearing things. There was no way this child was Viggo. The last time he had seen the man his back was littered with arrows and he was facing death. There was only one way to know for certain.

Very carefully, very gently, he laid the child on the small cot in the back of his room. He hesitated only a moment before peeling off the oversize black tunic. The child murmured in his sleep but didn't wake up. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup gently rolled him onto his right side and away from him. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find, gaping holes where arrows had embedded flesh, oozing blood or puss from not being properly cared for. Instead he found bruises and scabs that were faded and almost gone. They were in the spots where Hiccup was sure the arrows had been but the healing was too far along to be recent. It was an old wound, but it wasn't the oddest.

There was a scar along the boy's throat. Hiccup hadn't paid it much attention before but now he studied it. Three claw marks from just behind his left ear almost to the front of his collar bone. Mixed with the thin line of hair, twisted and burned ear and left half of his face there was no longer any doubt in his mind who the boy was. There was no other explanation. This was…it had to be…Viggo Grimborn.

"This isn't possible," Hiccup breathed, still in disbelief.

The odd thing was that the scar also seemed a little faded, not as deep or angry. And the burns that were so prominent and risen now appeared dry and flakey. Hiccup didn't dare touch them. He knew from his own experience that burns could be easily infected if toyed with.

Withdrawing from the child, Hiccup tried to think and make some sort of sense out of what he was seeing and what he had heard. He was in denial. People simply didn't come back from the dead. Okay, Viggo had escaped the volcano he had fallen into and should have been killed by either the lava, the super heated air, or the fall itself. He had clawed his way of it then disappeared until Krogan found him. What if he had somehow survived the battle against the Hunters and Johann had somehow turned him into this child, but why? What good was a child Viggo? And didn't the kid say his father was Ryker and that Ryker was dead?

None of this made sense.

Hiccup gave a frustrated shot.

Okay, calm down, think, he told himself. Just think this through. Who says those scars are exactly the same of Grimborn's? There had to be a logical explanation. But how did he know about the Skrill? Why would he ask if it made it out safe?

There was really only one person that could verify who the boy was or wasn't…if he wasn't killed like the child claimed…unless of course the boy was who he said he was and simply didn't know that the one in question was still alive.

His mind was racing as he tried to make sense of it.

Toothless watched him worriedly, not understanding why Hiccup was so upset. Humans acted so odd at times. He walked over to Little Viggo, sniffed his hair, then laid his head on the child's lower half, careful of the scars. He knew who the boy was and he was no longer afraid of the former Hunter. Viggo had proven himself an ally. He had protected and save both him and Hiccup from Krogan and Johann. That meant Viggo wasn't bad anymore and had come to care for dragons. So Toothless would care for Viggo even if Hiccup wasn't yet ready to accept who the child was. As if there was even a question about who the boy was.

Hiccup's inner turmoil ended almost as soon as he saw his dragon wrap his lithe body around the child and cot. He had learn long ago that if Toothless was okay with something then he should be as well. He could never doubt the Night Fury's instinct. So he calmed down and took a deep breath. So what if this was Viggo Grimborn trapped in a child's body. He just had to keep that a secret from everyone else until they could fix it. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Uh…he already felt dread climbing into his throat.

NOTE: With the long weekend I probably won't be posting again until Tuesday unless I manage to get some free time.


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of giggling and excited talking woke Hiccup up early the next morning. He didn't remember falling asleep. He had spent most of the Night going through every book he had and even some of Fishlegs's hoping to find something on spells and potions. It was a useless task, neither he or Fishlegs had anything like that. Such things were forbidden, but he had hoped that maybe there were old stories, fantasy or real, that or of them may have purchased from the Northern Market without really noticing. So far nothing.

Hiccup woke up with a large book on his chest and the beginning of a pressure headache from straining his eyes in the dim light to read.

The giggling drew his attention. He looked toward the small cot at the back of the loft. It was empty, Viggo gone…and Toothless. Raising a brow, Hiccup glances toward the stone slab that served as Toothless's nest. Neither of them were there, not that he really expected either of them to be. Quickly, he slipped off his bed and made his way to the Edge of the loft and peered down to the main floor. The sight that he beheld was one he was sure to never forget.

Toothless was sitting on the floor, his wings tucked in and tail curled around him. His head was tilted to one side as he watched the little boy in front of him. Between them was the wooden box that contained the Maxes and Talons game. The game that Hiccup had packed away and placed on a shelf that the boy couldn't possibly have gotten down on his own. Toothless had to have helped him.

Well if that didn't hammer the nail in the box, nothing did. Only Viggo would go so far out of his way to get that stupid game.

Hiccup shook his head in bemusement. But the fact that Toothless had helped the child get the game wasn't the most amusing part, the sight of Little Viggo chatting away to the Night Fury and obviously trying to teach him how to play Maxes and Talons. Hiccup held back a laugh as the boy lifted a game piece.

"See, this is the Honorable Chief…or in this case dragon," the child said, showing Toothless the carved wood. "This is the Honorable Alpha Dragon, you. And this is Me, the Ma..mara..marauder Chief, me."

Toothless warbler curiously and sniffed the pieces.

Viggo giggled as the dragon's warm breath ruffled his hair.

"What are you doing?" Dagur asked, walking through into the hut without knocking. He held a bundle of fabric in one arm, his other hand automatically reaching out to scratch Toothless behind one ear.

"Teaching Toot-ess to play Maxes and Talons?" Viggo answered as if it was obvious.

The Berserker chief frowned and glanced up at the loft and Hiccup. Hiccup shrugged. He wasn't sure what to say. Maxes and Talons could be popular amongst Dragon Hunters.

"Toot-ess?" Dagur asked with a smirk.

"He's five," Hiccup explained, deciding to go to the main floor before Dagur asked too many questions. "A speech impediment?"

Dagur relaxed slightly but Hiccup's words seemed to ruffle Viggo's feather.

"I don't have a speech impedi..pedi…" The boy's brows bunched in frustration. He mouthed the word to himself, tried again then turned away from the two men when he couldn't say the word. Instead he glared at the game board and made a move. "Your turn," he told Toothless.

Dagur watched him carefully, taking note of his moves. "So…how was babysitting?"

Viggo sent Dagur a glare.

"Interesting," Hiccup admitted. "He slept all night so it was quiet."

"That's good." He watched Viggo move Toothless's pieces for the dragon. "That's a dangerous gambit. He can take all you men."

"All I need is one," the boy responded.

Dagur's eyes widened. He grabbed Hiccup's arm and pulled him to the very back of the building before releasing him. "Okay, I'm not the only one that just heard that, right?" he demanded, his gaze flicking back to the boy and Toothless.

"I heard," Hiccup agreed. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned again the trunk under Toothless's spare tailfins.

"And he doesn't sound like someone we know…someone who's supposed to be dead?"

"He does."

"And?"

"And what?" Hiccup asked. He didn't know what to do. He had no plan for this. All he knew was that regardless who the child was or had been, he was now under Hiccup's protection. Krogan and Johan wanted Viggo which meant he had to do everything in his power to keep the boy safe.

Dagur rolled his eyes, knowing Hiccup's dedication without being told. "Are you serious? We can't keep him here. You're just giving Johann more reason to attack."

"Like the sack of lenses and the Dragon Eye isn't enough?" Hiccup countered. "Look, he's just one little kid. I can handle it. Besides, who knows how long this potion will last. He could come back to himself at any time."

"That's what worries me." Dagur frowned and placed the clothing on the table. "And you pretty confirmed what I thought. Ate you going to tell the others?"

Hiccup made a little sound in the back of his throat that was a mix of a groan and whine. "I will. I just need to figure out how. Viggo was our greatest enemy…at least I thought he was. Now…after he died, or supposedly died and became this…I don't know what to do think. I don't know how to explain it. What if one day we wake up and He's full grown and turns against us?"

"Kill him now?"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What if he goes younger and dies as a new born?" Dagur hurriedly added.

That was another nagging thought in the back of Hiccup's mind. What if Viggo de-aging was still happening? What if he kept getting younger and younger. "We need Gothi."

"We need to hold a meeting," Dagur countered. "We have to tell the others. Mala is going to go ape shit on me when she finds out. You know how she feels about…Grimborn." He said the last in a hush whisper. He loved Mala but he also knew her temper and her hatred for Viggo Grimborn. She had actually celebrated his death. If she found out that he may be alive, child size or not, she was likely to throw him head first into her island volcano, and she'd make sure that he didn't escape death for a third time.

"I know…I know…" Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. "You're right. I just need to figure out how to explain it. I still have no idea how this happened. I don't even think he knows what happened." He waved toward the Viggo. The child wad intently staring at the game board and talking to Toothless.

"One way to find out."

"Dagur, don't!" Hiccup went to stop but the Berserker had reached Viggo in oh a few short steps.

"So squirt, you what to start talking?" he began to demand but it came out softer than he meant when the child looked at him with that one big brown eye, the other obviously blind. It was one thing seeing a grown man like that, another when it was just a kid – even if that kid was once a grown man.

"May name's not 'squirt," Viggo answered as if insulted. He probably was, Hiccup figured.

Dagur raised a brow. "Oh? Then why did you just lose to Toothless. He just took the Marauder Chief."

The child looked confused for a moment then turned back to Toothless. Up until now he had been moving all the pieces. Toothless's claws were too long and paws didn't move enough like hands to move the pieces so it was impossible for him to do so. But when Viggo had turned away, Toothless had dipped his head into the wooden box to sniff the pieces, inadvertently knocking them all over. He seized the Marauder Chief between his lips and lifted it out without really meaning to and began thoughtfully humming it up as he tried to understand why Viggo liked the game so much. He was kind of bored by the whole thing he just liked listening to the child talk to him. It was a lot like how Hiccup would.

"Toot-ess, no! You don't eat the pieces. Give it back!" Viggo cried, jumping to his feet to retrieve the stolen piece.

Toothless must have thought it was another game. He jumped to all fours, gave the boy a sneaky look and then began running around to hut, the boy chasing him.

"Toothless, no!" Hiccup yelled, ducking when his best friend's rogue tail nearly hit him. "Toothless, give him back that game piece right now!"

Yeah, his dragon had a mind of his own. He would run, stop long enough to look at Viggo to see if he caught Up, do a little wiggle as if to say "catch me if you can" then take off again. Hiccup wasn't sure to laugh or yell but Little Viggo was losing steam and looked ready to cry. That was what made the Night Fury stop. Upon seeing Viggo become frustrated and teary eyes, Toothless stopped in front of the game, dropped the piece, them padded to Viggo and nosed his little belly in sorry.

"S'okay, Toot-ess," the child told him with a sniffle, hugging his large head.

"Oh…Oh, you have got you work cut out with these two," Dagur laughed. He ruffled Viggo's hair, which the boy definitely didn't like. "Alright half-pint, you want to tell us how you went from big bad Viggo Grimborn to itty-bitty Viggo?"

The child tried getting Dagur's hand out of his hair but Dagur wouldn't let go. He made a face at the Berserker which Dagur perfectly imitated and shot back.

"I don't know," Viggo confessed, soundly a little more grown up than a moment ago. "I remember saying good bye to Hiccup then facing off with archers with the Skrill at my side. Then electricity rushing rip me. I was dying…then Johann leaning over…and Krogan." His face went slack, tears rolling down one cheek as he struggled to remember while keeping the child side at bay just a little longer. "They were talking and made me drink something…but more bitter, laced with something. I should be dead…why aren't I dead, Hiccup? Why did they do this to me?" He blinked a few times and then Big Viggo was gone and Little Viggo back, his one good eye clear and untroubled.

Dagur's hand moved from his head to his shoulder in shock as he glanced at Hiccup.

"Viggo, do you remember anything else, anything at all?" Hiccup urged. He pulled out the Dragon Eye and knelt before the child.

Viggo's eyes widened as Hiccup handed it to him. He hugged it to his chest with a small happy smile. "This is mine. Johann can't have it." He looked up at Hiccup. "I can share with you."

Hiccup smiled softly. "I'd like that," he agreed. He probably wouldn't get any more answers from Viggo for the moment. He had reverted right back to being a small child again. He absently wondered how much of the man Viggo was left or if he would completely revert to a child.

For a moment the little one only held the Dragon Eye lovingly to his chest. He suddenly grimaced and scratched at the scarred side of his face. Little fingers scratched at angry red scars.

"Whoa…no you don't," Dagur said, catching Viggo's hand and stopping him before he could hurt himself.

Viggo looked up in confusion. "It's itchy."

Dagur nodded in understanding. "It's a burn. It will…for a long time. If you scratch or pick at it, it will get worse. I'll find a lotion for it."

Hiccup stared at his brother in confusion, surprised Dagur would offer to do such a thing. "Don't worry, Viggo, we'll take care of it…and you. You're with us now." He smiled at Viggo who beamed up at him. "How we go to the bath house and clean you up? Snotlout made you some nice new clothes. All we need is a new pair of boots and you'll be all set."

Viggo's smile grew impossibly large and he threw his tiny arms around Hiccup's neck, surprising both young men. "Thank you, Hiccup."


	5. Chapter 5

"Ladies, please tell me you're decent," Hiccup called as he came to the entrance of the cave that housed the bathhouse. They had found an underground spring while exploring the Edge within their first week there. It was warm, the water always steamy even on the coldest night. The riders often bathed together or took turns, the women at one time and the guys after, or individually when the mood hit one of them. Hiccup had never had to ask if the ladies were decent before, the riders have all seen each other nude, but with Viggo it just didn't seem right for the boy to see the girls in such a state. It could have been because of the boy being so young or the fact that he had once been Viggo Grimborn and him seeing any of them naked gave Hiccup the creeps.

"Uh…one sec," Astrid called back.

The sound of water moving could be heard and Hiccup assumed Astrid and Heather were getting out of the spring to grab their clothing. He waited for the all clear. Viggo stood next him, holding his hand. A blindfold was over his eyes. Hiccup didn't want to chance Viggo seeing something he wasn't supposed to. Surprisingly, the boy didn't put up any fuss.

It took a few minutes but then Astrid appeared, fully clothed, her wet blonde hair loose and flowing down her back. "Hey," she said in greeting. She gave Viggo a confused look, unsure about the blindfold at first. Understanding came quickly and she gave Hiccup a grin. "Shy?"

"Me? No. I just didn't think it appropriate for him to see you guys undressed," Hiccup explained, a little sheepish. Thankfully, she understood.

"That's okay. Do you need any help? I can wear my under clothes," she offered. She smiled sweetly at Hiccup, seemingly charmed by the way he was caring for their strange guest.

She gave him that look that made his stomach do flip flops. He wanted to say yes but knew he shouldn't. If this was some trick and Viggo was playing them…

"Maybe another time," Hiccup said, immediately feeling guilty at the look she gave him, a mix of shock and disappointment. He caught her hand. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

"It's complicated," Dagur offered in Hiccup's defense. "We know the kid's father and there's some things we don't need reported back to the Hunters."

She looked between them and then gave a laugh. "He's just a little kid. And what could be possibly report to Johann from a bathhouse?"

Okay, she had a point, Hiccup silently conceded.

"We don't bathe with girls where I come from," Viggo suddenly said. "They have they're own bathhouse."

"Oh," Astrid gasped. She glanced down at the child and then at Hiccup. "I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry."

Hiccup smiled softly, still holding her hand. "I need to talk to everyone at the clubhouse in about an hour. I'll explain everything then."

"Okay." She squeezed his hand and left with Heather, who was hurriedly drying her raven hair.

She grinned at Dagur in passing. "I'm heading back to Berserk this afternoon. Anything you need me to take back?"

He returned the grin. "No, but can you swing by Mala's and tell her I may be a day or two late? I'm going to help Hiccup with our little Hunter situation."

She shook her head in amusement. "And you two thought blindfolding him was the best way to preserve our honor?"

"Hey, your my sister and she's his betrothed. We don't want some random guy googling the two of you. Bad enough Snotlout does it."

Heather just laughed and gently removed Viggo's blindfold. "There," she said soothingly. "Nothing to worry about now. I'm pretty sure Uncle Dagur and Uncle Hiccup will take good care of you and get you all cleaned up."

The boy stared up at her in wonder, not seeming to mind at all when she ruffled his hair and stroked his cheek. He watched as she and Astrid left with a small smile that had Dagur turning him around and marching him to the spring.

"I like her," Viggo announced along the way.

"Yeah, we'll don't. She my little sister and if I ever see you look at her that way again I'll break your neck," Dagur warned. When Hiccup gave him a stern look he shrugged. "It's creepy."

"Why?" the child asked so innocently that it was hard to believe he was who he was.

"Because…it just is," Dagur snapped, feeling utterly foolish at being mad at the kid. Viggo kept slipping in and out of his grown up to this child version. But it seemed the child version was the dominate one and the grown Viggo had to claw his way to the surface in order to be heard, so the look he gave Heather may have been nothing at all except surprise.

Viggo practically jumped in the water the moment he was undressed. Hiccup barely managed to get down to his skivvies before having to jump in after him. Dagur didn't know if he should panic or laugh at the ordeal. The water wasn't very deep but it didn't take much for someone to drown. But unlike Hiccup, who enjoyed bathing but didn't like to swim, Viggo was like a little fish in the water and wad happily swimming and splashing and seemed to be going out of his way to get the two men wet.

Okay, the Viggo Dagur had known, while only for a brief time, would not be splashing water and trying to drench everything in sight. He would be lounging back and droning on about some fool plan or move that made little sense to Dagur. This Viggo had a high pitch giggle and all he wanted was someone to play with. Hiccup was having a tough time trying to keep up. Seeing as Hiccup only had one leg and using his prosthetic was not the easiest thing in a natural spring with constantly moving water, Dagur stripped down to his skivvies and joined in. Viggo was utterly delighted to be given such attention and splashed a small wave at Dagur.

"Oh…you best not start something you can't finish, squirt," Dagur warned. But he wasn't made. This actually reminded him of when he was little and would play with Heather or Hiccup in such a manner. Of that that was years ago, before the whole sending Heather adrift and chasing after Hiccup. Times had changed but that day suddenly rang through Dagur's mind as he in turn splashed Viggo and then Hiccup.

"What? Why would you…?" Hiccup stuttered, spitting out water only for Viggo to laugh hysterically. "Oh…game on!" He splashed back at Viggo, who darted behind Dagur, and it became an all out water battle between the three.

. . .

Miles away Johann was fuming. "You let him get away?" he snarled at Krogan. "Keep him in an induced coma until the potion took full effect! Now he's escaped and has taken the Dragon Eye with him. Why was the Dragon Eye even in his tent?"

"I thought it better than having them separate. When he awoke we could have…" Krogan began, only to step back when a dagger zipped past him, slicing into his cheek along the way.

"Could have what, Krogan? Had a tea party while trying to assure he was under our control?" Johann sneered. He turned his back on Krogan and paced before the table. He still had the lenses but without the Dragon Eye they use useless to him. "And do you know why I went through the trouble of saving Viggo's worthless life? Why I found a potion to turn him into a small, defenseless child?"

Krogan shook his head. He had been trying to figure that out since they force feed the vial of green liquid into Grimborn.

"Because he is still useful to me. This was an experiment. If it worked on Grimborn then it would work on Hiccup. I would have had two of the most powerful minds under my control, one of which being the Dragon Conqueror. But you had to let Viggo escape and be taken by Hiccup and his riders." He sent the papers on the table flying in his rage. Placing both hands on the table, he glared at the lenses. They were so close, so very close. "Ransack his tent. I want his journals, all his maps and paperwork. Bring them here."

"Yes, sir," Krogan grumbled, pulling back the flap of Johann's tent to tent.

"And when your done gather your Fliers and retrieve the boy. Haddock as well. The potion worked once, it will work again," Johann added.

Krogan gave a grunt, not at all happy about the order. Viggo and Hiccup should be killed not played with like children. But despite all Johann's hatred toward Berk and the riders, there was still a soft spot for Hiccup Haddock, one that was growing smaller and smaller every day.

. . .

"Alright, playtime's over," Hiccup announced, managing to wrangle Viggo even though the boy kept trying to swim away. He caught the boy under the arms and lifted him onto his lap to look him over. He was pretty clean now and Hiccup was a little hesitant to use the soap Fishlegs had made to wash his hair. He didn't want to irritate the scar on the left side of his face , which Viggo continued to pick at when he thought no one was looking.

The scar looked odd to be quite honest. It appeared dry and brittle and it sent warning alarms off I'm Hiccup's head.

"Dagur, is this normal?" he asked, his stomach churning with dread. He caught Viggo's hand as the child tried to pick at his scar again but not before a large flake of dry skin fell from the ruined cheek. Horror replaced dread and Hiccup feared the worse. He feared skin decaying and muscle being shown or something equally horrifying. Instead there was healthy new pink skin under the scar.

"That's not possible," Dagur breathed when he reached them.

Hesitantly, Hiccup touched the child's cheek and with a wash rag gently wiped at the scar. More pieces flaked off and more new skin was revealed. "Oh gods…this has to be because of the potion. He was sent back into being a child…before the scars."

"Wouldn't they fade not flake off?" Dagur countered, just as weirded out by the whole experience.

"I would've thought so." He continued wiping Viggo's face, carefully washing away the dried skin that fell off on its own. He didn't want to use force and aggravate the new skin underneath in any way. A strange mix of excitement filled him. The ear was still slightly mangled but it too appeared to be healing or regenerating or whatever it was that was happening here.

Little Viggo couldn't answer what was happening but maybe Big Viggo could. Hiccup tried calling to him, tried coaxing him to the surface but he stayed hidden. The child simply sat still and let Hiccup wash his face, enjoying the feel of cloth on his cheek.

The left was another story. It had taken on a slight darker color but was still blind. Hiccup wasn't sure why, but then he had no idea why Viggo's face had sudden begun to heal. Once the dry dead skin was removed there was a healing pink cheek in it's place, looking as if it had been kissed by the cold yet was extremely warm to the touch.

"Whoa," Dagur breathed, unable to believe his eyes.

Hiccup couldn't believe either. Whatever this magic was, it was definitely magic and nothing normal.

Viggo sat still for a moment then hesitantly reached for the left side of his face. Hiccup didn't stop him this time, instead he began wiping down other places that had been burned or scarred. They too showed signs of new flesh. The claw marks on his neck were gone. Other than his eye, Viggo was by all means reborn.


	6. Chapter 6

Viggo kept covering his good eye and tried seeing out of the blind one…or mostly blind eye. It was healing but exceptionally slow compared to the burns and claw marks, but the color was coming back bit by bit.

"What do you see?" Hiccup asked, as he had every time Viggo covered his good eye.

The child would shake his head, a small little frown tugging his lips down. This time was different. The boy tilted his head every so slightly. "I see shadows. Big blobs of shadow."

"Hey," Fishlegs said, offended, but it was highly unlikely the boy meant him in particular; Fishlegs just happened to be walking toward him.

Viggo turned toward the hearth fire in the center of the round table. He immediately looked away. "Too bright," he explained, blinking open his good eye.

"Maybe we should cover the damaged eye until it heals," Fishlegs offered. He placed the small pair of fur boots next to Little Viggo then sat down. "The light may cause more damage than good right now."

"Perhaps," Hiccup agreed. There was still dry skin flaking off Viggo's face and shoulder but the majority seemed tangled in his hair where it wasn't as easy to get out, despite how short his hair was. Hiccup was still weirded out by pretty much everything that had happened since rescuing the child. The fact that an eye that had been completely blind was suddenly healing was only another strange anomaly to add to the growing pile. "Did Astrid or Heather mention how long they're going to be? I need to talk to everyone."

"Not long, just patrol," Fishlegs answered. He smiled happily as he helped Viggo put his new books on and ties the leather straps in place. "You know, he's about the same age as my youngest nephew," he mused as Viggo covered his eye again. "Much less of a hand full than the triplets."

"For now," Dagur chuckled. "Wait until the twins get a hold of him. It'll be pandemonium. At least Snotlout hasn't tried claiming him."

"The Gustav debacle?" Fishlegs gave a snort. "Don't need to relive that."

"Gustav's a good kid…just hyper," Dagur defended. He liked Gustav. He was like Hiccup in so many ways it was impossible not to like him.

Fishlegs kept his retort to himself. Gustav was more than hyper. Sometimes he was impossible to control. Only Dagur seemed able to make the young rider listen. He turned his focus back to Hiccup and Little Viggo. "So why are you so anxious to talk to everyone? I mean, his scars healing is amazing and all but what does it have to do with the riders?" His eyes widened in sudden fear. "Unless you think it's a spell that can harm us caused by a witch. It that was this is?"

"I don't know what this is," Hiccup confessed. Indeed the boy looked completely different now that he was cleaned up and the scar tissue had mysteriously fallen away. Other than the left eye being pale and blind, Viggo could almost pass for any other dark haired child. Hiccup gave him some charcoal and parchment to keep him busy and stop playing with his vision.

"Okay," Fishlegs said slowly. "So what's the big deal?"

Hiccup didn't want to have to explain things twice. He was still having a hard time coming to grips with the fact the child had once been Viggo Grimborn. All he wanted was for everyone to be together when he broke the news so that whatever shock and anger people had could be dealt with all at once and then they could focus on how to fix and possibly restore Viggo to his actual size and age. Although he questioned himself if that was in their best interest or not. Viggo was on enigma in many ways. He had saved Hiccup and Toothless, gave his life for them, but before that…

He relaxed a little when he felt Dagur's hand on his shoulder. People could change, he reminded himself. Dagur had changed. Dagur had gone from being and obsessive enemy to an overbearing, overprotective friend and big brother. Viggo's change could have been similar. Hiccup still didn't understand why Viggo had done what he had but the change was evident if not unexpected. The physical change was another issue all together.

"I just rather say it once then have to repeat it a bunch of times " Hiccup explained while he watch Viggo draw. "It's going to be a bit of a shock, I think."

Fishlegs watched him for a moment before giving a shrug.

The rest of the riders didn't reappear until nearly lunch time. Normally everyone fended for themselves at lunch, only sharing a meal at breakfast and dinner, but today was one of those days when everyone got together with ease. Perhaps it was due to their little guest, or maybe they saw that Hiccup was more anxious than usual. Whatever the case, they began wandering into the clubhouse close to noon. Heather automatically began cooking – she never said it out loud, but she didn't like anyone's else's cooking so cooked whenever she was on the Edge, apparently it was the same on Berserk, according to Dagur. Heather was used to being on her own and eating a certain way and not faulted her for wanting to be in charge of the cooking when she visited, it was always better than what the riders ever came up with.

Hiccup kept quiet while everyone mingled, uncertain how to approach the subject that Viggo Grimborn had somehow survived yet was turned into a child. It was unbelievable even though the evidence was sitting before them, or rather beside Hiccup scribbling away on the parchment Hiccup had given him.

Of course, the riders weren't as oblivious as they often seemed. Astrid came over and gave her betrothed a peck on the lips in greeting before smiling down at the little boy and observing the image he was drawing.

"That's really good," she praised. "Is that a Skrill?"

The boy nodded then looked up at her with sad eyes. "He died helping me."

Her brows bunched in confusion. "Oh?"

The child nodded. "I told him to leave with Hiccup but he decided to stay. He killed at the Hunters attacking us but died anyway. He shouldn't have. He should have left and let me deal with them."

Astrid glanced at Hiccup. "What is he talking about? And how did his face heal?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to answer but Viggo continued. "He was a nice dragon, not as scary as people think they are. They're the Singetails' natural predator."

She nodded but gave Hiccup a confused look.

"We need to talk," Hiccup said simply. "Everyone does. I need everyone sitting at the table."

Heather glanced up from the vegetables she was cutting. When Dagur gestured for her to join everyone at the table, she sighed and left her preparation to see what was going on.

Once everyone was seated, Hiccup found himself at a lost for words. He didn't know what to say. There was no easy way to explain it other than to be completely forward and blunt. That was easier said than done.

He rubbed at the back of his neck, glanced at Viggo still happily drawing then at his friends. "Viggo Grimborn is still alive."

Yep, that did it. Everyone was staring at him in a mix of shock and horror.

"How…" Astrid began but Hiccup gently shushed her.

Hiccup gestured to the child beside him. "This isn't his son or nephew. He's Viggo. The Viggo Grimborn we fought against."

There was silence for a long moment or two before Ruffnut gave a snort. "Okay, pull the other leg."

"I'm serious, Ruff," Hiccup said sternly.

Tuffnut gave a nervous laugh. "Funny, Hiccup. Loki Day is still over a month away."

"This isn't a prank." Okay, he could see and understand why his friends would be in disbelief but he was deadly serious. He looked at Viggo, the left side of his face now healed and almost perfect. "This IS Viggo. Johann and Krogan found a way to revise his age. I have no idea how they could possibly take advantage of having him as a child but they did it nonetheless."

Shock silence met his words. At least for a moment. Then everyone was asking questions. Hiccup tried to answer them as best he could, after all, he had no clue how this could have happened either, but it wasn't until one small voice asked a simple question that the others fell silent once more.

"Hiccup, can I have more parchment?" Viggo asked, leaning back to show he had drawn all over what he had and needed more.

"Ah…yeah, sure," Hiccup answered before tearing a few blank pages out of his journal for the boy.

"He doesn't act like Viggo," Heather observed.

"That's probably because he's at an age where he was innocent," Fishlegs tried to explain.

Snotlout gave a snort. "Yeah, and not a self centered little shit."

Viggo's head jerked toward him, his mouth open in surprise at such language.

"Oh you heard me : Snotlout snapped before turning away. "I say we give him to Johann. Maybe then he'll back off."

"No one is giving him to anyone " Hiccup practically yelled at his cousin. He stood and placed both hands on the table and took a moment to stare down each of the riders. "Yes, I know we have a history with Viggo. And Yes, the things he has done are not forgivable, but this boy is just a child. He's defenseless. It's our job to protect him and the Dragon Eye from Krogan and Johann. You can help me or stay out of my way and I'll protect him myself." He glared at his friends, daring them to speak out against him.

Astrid placed a soothing hand over his. "No one is turning him away. We're all a little skeptical after everything we've been through with him and now Johann." She gave his fingers a squeeze. "So what do we do? We can't keep him until he grows up again."

That took some of the steam away. Hiccup sat back down and looked at her betrothed. "I don't know. Find a cure, perhaps. If Johann did this then he must have a way to reverse it."

"Possible. But what if he doesn't?"

That was a question Hiccup was unsure how to answer. "Take him to Berk and raise him to appreciate dragons?"

She gave a look that clearly said they couldn't keep Viggo. He wasn't a dragon to be trained and kept. He was a man trapped in a child's body and best with his own people. Hiccup knew that was true but he didn't have to like it. He wanted to keep Viggo safe, to keep Johann or Krogan from capturing, and maybe rewrite his life by letting him grow up amongst dragons, as their friend and not their enemies. Sure Viggo may have changed his views on dragons before his death…almost death, but things could be so much better if allowed to be amongst them.

"She's right, you know," Dagur said, as if answering his thoughts. "He should be amongst his own people."

Hiccup hated it when Dagur teamed up with Astrid. "So what do you suggest?"

Dagur was silent for a moment before letting out his breath slowly. He must have known Hiccup would not agree and took a moment to calm himself so he wouldn't snap if Hiccup did. "I know someone who can protect him better than we can. Johann wouldn't think to look for him there."

Hiccup's head jerked up. "You're not seriously suggesting..?"

"Johann is gunning for us, not them. As far as he knows the Hunters are loyal to him. My guy isn't. Besides, without the scars he'll blend in."

It was a sound plan but Hiccup still didn't like it. He felt it was his responsibility to protect Viggo as Viggo had protected him and Toothless, but Dagur was right, Viggo wasn't safe amongst the riders. He needed to be able to blend in and a small child amongst a group of riders made him stick out like a sore thumb. Not only that but Hiccup would have to split up their forces in order to battle the Fliers and protect Viggo.

"Alright?" he murmured after a moment. He sighed and watched Viggo. "But go visit him in person and tell him what's going. I don't think Terror mail would be the best for this. But if he reacts badly or makes any threats then leave. I won't endanger Viggo any more than he already is."

"Oh wow, imagine what Stoick would do if he found out this kid was Viggo?" Tuffnut asked excitedly.

"Probably use him as fishing bait," Ruffnut answered with a giggle.

"No one tells my father or anyone about this. If someone shows up we saved him from the Hunters. Plain and simple," Astrid snapped, giving the twins a warning glare. She turned to Dagur. "How fast can you get your friend?"

Dagur shrugged. "A day's journey out, a day back. Provided weather isn't an issue and I don't have to wrangle him into it…three days tops with rest and food stops."

She gave a nod. "I think we can manage three days."

"Don't fight with him over it," Hiccup advised. "If he says no or starts making threats just leave."

Dagur gave a curt nod. "You better be good for Uncle Hiccup, squirt," he warned Viggo, ruffling his hair. Viggo immediate tried slapping his hand away only for Dagur to give a laugh.

"Dagur, I'm serious. Don't stick around if…" Hiccup warned.

"Stop worrying. I know him, family means everything," Dagur assured. "I'll be back soon."

Hiccup nodded. He tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. If Dagur was talking about who he thought he was then there was a good chance the man was out for blood and not likely to be interested in protecting one small child. Still, if the guy said yes then Viggo might be safer with him than them. It was a conundrum that Hiccup really would rather not think about.

Heather gave her brother's hand a squeeze. "Be careful," she warned, not liking where he was travelling any more than Hiccup.

He only smile and patted her hand.

"Alright, while Dagur is gone we need to up our patrols," Hiccup announced. The riders groaned in unison. "Krogan is bound to attack. They want the Dragon Eye, and they want Viggo. So we're going to go in shifts of two. Two dragons and riders patrolling at once. And we're going to take turns guarding Viggo."

"Why not throw him in a stable and lock him up?" Snotlout asked only to have everyone glare at him. "What? He's our prisoner, right?"

"No, he's our charge. We take care of him just as we would any of the kids from Berk," Hiccup explained, annoyed his cousin would even consider such a thing.

"Woo…he can be an honorary Dragon Explorer!" Fishlegs exclaimed in sudden excitement, delighted to teach anyone something new about dragons.

"Yes!" Hiccup agreed. "Fishlegs can teach him about dragons and how to get along with them."

"We can…" Tuffnut began.

"No," Hiccup quickly interrupted, knowing full well the trouble that would come from the twins being allowed to care for any child.

"I was just going to say…"

"No," Astrid added, backing Hiccup up.

"But it's just…"

"Oh for Thor sake, No!" Snotlout snapped, not willing to have a repeat of the Dragon Explorer incident.

Tuffnut gave a pout. "You have no idea the education he's missing out on."

"Don't worry, bro. We'll get our turn," Ruffnut assured, patting his shoulder.

"How about you two and Snotlout take the first patrol while Heather and I work on lunch " Astrid said. It was more of a command than a suggestion. She ran a hand over Hiccup's tense shoulders in silent reassurance then pressed her lips to the top of his head. "It's alright. We've got this," she said softly for only him to hear. Then, hesitantly, she placed a hand on Viggo's small shoulder. The boy glanced away from his drawing for only a moment. He gave Astrid a big smile then went back to his drawing. "I'll get you some more parchment."

"Thank you," Viggo chirped. He took a shine to Astrid as soon as she places more parchment before him and would do anything she said, including helping gather supplies for lunch.

Hiccup figured the boy was in good hands with Astrid and Heather while he did more research. There something nagging at the back of his mind. The outer damage, Viggo's burns had healed but not his eye. So what about the internal damage caused by the arrows? They had penetrated vital organs. What if they hadn't healed or were healing much slower than the outer damage? What if there was damage inside Viggo that could still kill him? He needed Gothi, he needed someone who understood the inner workings of the body to see what was going on. Viggo may be a child now but the injuries he suffered saving Hiccup and Toothless may still be life threatening. Or they could be completely healed. Hiccup didn't know but he needed to. He needed to know exactly what he was dealing with.

While Viggo helped Astrid and Heather, Hiccup sent a note with Sharpshot to Berk, requesting Gothi and giving a basic run down of what he feared they may be dealing with. He did include anything about who the child was, magic, de-aging or anything he feared might make him sound any crazier than he felt. Instinctively, he knew his father would tag along with the Elder. And that would bring about it's own problems.


	7. Chapter 7

Trouble didn't start until early in the evening. Hiccup had been reluctant to leave Viggo alone with Astrid. Memories of him using her as a weapon against Hiccup still brought a sour taste to Hiccup's mouth. Consciously, he knew it shouldn't but it was still there and it nagged at him endlessly. Thankfully, Heather volunteered to stay with them, holding off returning to Berserk until the next morning. There was a storm on the horizon and she didn't want to chance flying through it.

For the most Viggo was good. He did exactly as he was told without question and spent the majority of his time drawing or playing with the dragons. When it was Fishlegs's turn to watch him, he stayed perched on the young man's shoulder and listened intently to Fishlegs's teachings. He was a good guest and caused no mischief whatsoever, even when the Twins tried to get him to help plan a new prank. Even Snotlout found himself enjoying the child's company.

The troubled came at bedtime. Astrid had taken charge again, shooing Hiccup away so he could relax a bit. It wasn't the type of trouble they were expecting either, that had been quickly dealt with when Krogan and his Fliers were spotting not far from the Edge. Hiccup had figured Krogan would make a try for Viggo and nipped it in the butt before the boy could be exposed to any more danger. No, this problem was something no one had been prepared for.

It started with a little wheeze and a grimace as Astrid went to tuck Viggo into bed. Astrid didn't think much of it. Winter was in the air and colds were natural. Given the child's state dress when he was rescued a cold was a minor issue. But the wheezing only grew and with it an odd rattling sound could be heard when she leaned near Viggo. It was in his chest. It didn't immediately send any alarm bells off. When Hiccup was young he had breathing issues so Astrid did what Stoick would for Hiccup and gave Viggo an extra pillow. The wheezing seemed to calm down and Viggo slept soundly…at least for a little while.

Astrid was reading on Hiccup's bed when Viggo climbed in next to her and cuddled again her side. Startled, she stared down at him, unsure what he was doing. He burrowed next to her, without so much as a word, his eye lids falling shut. Then that awful rattling sound returned as he took a deep breath and Astrid knew there something more going on than just normal breathing difficulties. Something was wrong with the child, something none of them had noticed before. Or perhaps it had been undetectable until now. Something the spell have covered up.

"Viggo, does your chest hurt?" she asked, trying to remember if Hiccup had told her all the places Viggo had been hit by arrows when he faced off with Krogan's men.

The boy nodded with a small grimace. "My back, too."

Very carefully, Astrid lifted the back of Viggo's tunic. There was a slight discoloration from where the arrows had entered his back but otherwise it was fine. Whatever was wrong was internal and not healing as fast as the outside, just like his eye. It made no sense why the speed of regeneration would be so different.

"When's Hiccup coming back?" the boy asked softly.

Astrid rolled onto her side and drew him close, no longer caring who the child had once been. She stroked his hair and hummed softly. "He'll be back soon. Just one last patrol and then He'll be back."

"Thank you," Viggo whispered, already dozing off again.

"For what?"

"Not hating me."

Astrid froze for a moment. It was such an odd thing for a child to say, but then Viggo wasn't a real child. At least he used to be. She gathered him in her arms and cradled him against her as he slipped back into sleep. His breathing slowly evened out but the rattle remained. Astrid decided to let it be for now. She'd talk to Hiccup when he returned. It could be nothing. Either way Gothi should be on the Edge by morning and able to look him over. She hummed softly, hoping to lull the boy into a sound sleep while silently praying Hiccup was right and that by helping Viggo they may be able to change him for the better.

. . .

Hiccup had seen many wondrous sights since befriending Toothless but nothing ever prepared him for what he saw when he reached his loft. He knew Viggo would be asleep, or at least should be. It was the one thing the child did most often when not playing. And Hiccup was glad for it. The didn't have the sleep deprived shadows under his eyes the his grown up self had. So he knew that that had been one of grown up Viggo's many issues – He didn't want to list the others. Little Viggo was getting plenty of rest and that was good for all involved.

What took Hiccup's breath away was the sight of Astrid laying on his bed, protectively curled around Little Viggo. One slim around was wrapped around the boy, her chin resting on the crown of black hair. Viggo's little hand was tangled in his long braid as if to keep her close. It wasn't threatening in any way. If anything it was strangely endearing. It made Hiccup think of the day, sometime in the future, when he and Astrid would finally have children of their own. She would make a wonderful mom.

With that fantasy in mind, he grabbed the fur from the end of the bed and covered them both. It caused Astrid to stir.

"Hmm…" she murmured, blinking her eyes open.

"Long past your bedtime, m'lady," he responded, brushing his lips against her temple. "How is he?"

She stroked Viggo's hair gently. "There's a rattle in his chest, like he's not drawing in enough air."

Hiccup's face paled as he tried to think of all the places Viggo had been struck by arrows while trying to Protect him and Toothless. He didn't get a very good look at his back but it was possible that one may have lodged in his lungs. Was that the rattling Astrid was hearing or did Viggo have childhood breathing issues like he did? Gothi couldn't get there fast enough.

"Do you want me to put back in his bed?" he asked instead, not wanting to be an alarmist or to wake Viggo and scare him.

Astrid must have understood. She shook her head and settled back on the pillow. "He's fine. Let him sleep."

"Alright." He was about to go and curl up with Toothless for the night but Astrid caught his hand. He looked at her in confusion as she shuffled herself and Viggo over to one side of the bed, leaving a small gap for Hiccup to lay on. "Are you sure? It's not a very big bed."

"We've done it before," she assured.

"Not with a little one in the middle."

She only smiled and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

Hiccup kicked off his boot and removed his prosthetic then climbed in next to Viggo. It was a tight squeeze, the bed meant for one person but somehow they made it work. Despite the rattle in his chest, Viggo slept soundly between Hiccup and Astrid, and somehow the two youth's managed to keep from falling off the bed.

. . .

"You two best have a good explanation for this," a familiar booming voice greeted Hiccup in the morning.

Hiccup tried to pull Astrid a little closer but she gave him a hard poke. "Wha…" he mumbled, voice still clogged with sleep. He blinked his eyes open and looked toward the end of his bed. There stood his father with a look that was somewhere between amused and annoyed.

"Oh, hey Dad," Hiccup greeted him sleepily.

"Aye, hello," Stoick returned with only the tiniest of smirks.

"Hello," a tiny voice said, reminding Hiccup he wasn't alone in his bed with Astrid.

"Hello, little one," Stoick greeted Viggo. "And who might you be?"

"I'm…"

"V.J." Astrid said quickly. "His name's V.J. Isn't is?"

Both Viggo and Hiccup stared at her in shock but Viggo seemed to understand faster than Hiccup. He nodded his little head the crawled to the end of the bed to shake Stock's hand.

"I'm V.J.," he announced as if it had always been his name.

Stoick raised a brow but shook the child's tiny hand all the same. "Interesting name."

"Thank you," Viggo chirped.

Hiccup shook away his bewilderment as he attached his prosthetic to his leg.

Stoick appeared more amused than anything. "Go back to sleep, son. I can take care of this little one," he offered, picking Viggo up with his large yet gentle hands.

"No, Dad…"

"I raised you, didn't I? I think I can one small child for a few hours."

Astrid tugged Hiccup back to bed with a murmured "Thank you."

For a few minutes Hiccup found he was able to relax and even began to drift away into sleep. His father was taking care of Viggo and he was laying next to the woman he loved and…

His father was taking care of Viggo. His father had Viggo Grimborn. He groaned softly. He really did want to sleep a little longer.

"My Dad has Viggo," he murmured to Astrid. Worry filled him.

"He'll be fine," she assured, trying to tug him back down when he went to get out of bed. Normally she had no trouble doing so but there was a determination in Hiccup that prevented her from getting him back in bed. "He thinks Viggo is V.J."

"Yeah, but the others don't know that," he pointed out. "What if one of them slip up and…"

"You're worrying too much. They'll be find." Nonetheless, Astrid got out of bed as well and pulled on her boots.

It was bound to be a long day but at least Gothi was there to finally tell them what was going on with Viggo. And maybe she could help restore him…preferably after Stoick returned to Berk.

. . .

Dagur had to land on the far side of the island and hide Sluether. As much as most of the other tribes in the Archipelago had become used to seeing dragon riders not all were as welling of them and some were either firmly against it or enemies to the riders. This particular tribe was in a state of change and Dagur didn't want to cause more turmoil than necessary. His presence wasn't exactly going to be welcome, depending who he stumbled into first. But he wanted to keep his visit short and to the point.

He made his way to the city. It wasn't a small village like Berk or even medium like Berserk. This was a real city, one that rival any on the mainland. Dagur had only visited twice before and he had to focus on his destination in order to not get lost or distracted by the hub bub of the market place. He headed toward the castle on the hill. It wasn't his destination; the large hut before it was. He had once been told that the hut was stately manor. Dagur wasn't quite sure what that meant. It was larger than the other huts and more ornately decorated but other than that and the large barn behind It, there was little difference between it and his own chiefly hut back on Berserk.

He found who he was looking for behind the house. The sound of metal splitting wood could be heard as Dagur rounded the large hut. The man had his back to Dagur, his attention on the stack of wood he was chopping. There was a small fire to the left where two children were warming up, no doubt taking a break from stacking the cut wood. Their father didn't seem to mind. Dagur watched them for a moment or two, entranced by a memory of him and Heather doing the same with their father long, long again.

"Who's that?" the little girl asked, pointing at Dagur.

The father raised his axe and turned toward Dagur with a low, warning growl. He froze when he saw Dagur, but his defensive stance didn't ease. "Go to your mother," he ordered.

The boy gave a whine but ushered his sister into the hut.

Dagur watched them leave. He waited until they were safely inside then leaned against the house with a little smirk. "They're cute," he told their father with a thin smile.

"What do you want, Dagur?" the man demanded. He slammed the axe into the stump he had been using to chop wood a little harder than necessary.

Dagur raised his hands to show he was unarmed. It was a lie. They both knew he had enough through knives on his person to take down at least a dozen men. "Can't an old friend visit?"

"Not when it's you."

"Ouch, that hurts. That really hurts." Dagur placed a hand over his heart. "You know, I've really been making a change for the better."

"So I heard. What do you want?" The man turned away to grab his fur cloak, the winter cold hitting him now that he wasn't working.

Dagur pushed off the wall. "You heard about Viggo?"

The man growled at the name. "Aye, killed by his own men."

"That's not exactly how it went down," Dagur objected.

"Perhaps, but he was the fool that teamed up with Krogan and Johann. Betrayal was to be expected."

"I guess." Dagur rubbed the back of his neck. Coming here may not have been a mistake. He worried his lower lip. Perhaps Viggo was better with another tribe. If they couldn't restore him then he could grow up with an appreciation and love for dragons.

"Why are you here, Dagur? Why the sudden concern for Viggo. He's dead. He got what he deserved for betraying his kin."

Dagur stared at the thin layer of snow at his feet. "What if he survived?" he asked. He looked up and met the other man's dark brown eyes. He took a deep calming breath and squared his shoulders. "More to the point…what if he needs your help?"

"What would you care?" the other man snapped. "You sent your own sister adrift as a child, hunted a boy you claimed as your brother. What would you know of family and loyalty?"

"Nothing," the Berserker confessed. "But I'm learning, because you taught me the importance of family. Now I'm asking you…I begging you, to remember that loyalty. Viggo is alive. Look, I have no idea how to explain this but he needs your help. He needs his brother, Ryker. He needs you."

Ryker turned away from him. "No. He made it quite clear he didn't need me or anyone." He left Dagur in the yard and went into his hut, slamming the door behind him.

"Well that could have gone better," Dagur sighed to himself. He wasn't sure what else to do. Somehow he had to talk sense into Ryker and convince him that Viggo did indeed need him. Although, truth be told, he couldn't fault Ryker. What had happened between him and Viggo made the feud Dagur once had with Hiccup look like child's play in comparison.


	8. Chapter 8

The problem with Viggo's breathing was indeed his lungs. Gothi found the injury surprisingly easily. She frowned at the boy, prodding his back where the arrows had impaled his adult version. Her staff sketched her findings, explaining that there may be guild on the child's lungs that would take time to heal, and that his internal injuries were far worse that those on the outside. Stoick watched in growing confusion, especially when the elder grabbed the child's face and looked deep into his eyes for several long seconds. When she let him go she look very confused and concern. What she scribbled next was confusing to all.

Thankfully Hiccup "stumbled" over the markings as he rushed into the clubhouse, smudging the markings so much even Gobber couldn't translate it. It earned Hiccup a thumb to the head by the elder.

"Hiccup!" Viggo called excitedly as the young man went to him. He bounded off the table and into Hiccup, throwing his small arms around the youth's waist, as if it had been days not minutes since last seeing him. "Make her stop poking me."

Hiccup placed his hands on Viggo's shoulders but looked to Gothi. "Is he Okay?"

"If you mean, is he dying?" Gobber countered with a small smile. "No. He has internal bruising. Looks like they took a hard beating. His right lung is the worse but it'll heal in time."

"Funny how the rest of him shows no sign of injury," Stoick mused, still trying to decipher what Gothi had been trying to tell them.

Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, funny that. I was wondering if maybe he just has breathing issues like I did."

Gothi shook her head but Stoick hummed in thought. "Possible. The rattle is different though. Whoever had him didn't take very good care of him."

A sigh escaped Hiccup as he picked Viggo up. The boy was awfully clingy it seemed, a completely opposite of his grown up self. Hiccup didn't mind. A part of him still blamed himself for not realizing Viggo had been injured until it was too late, and for not simply having Toothless or the Skrill grab him and drag him to safety. But then he probably would have died of his injuries and not have been changed into a child. Would that have been better? To die with honor rather than be changed into a child? And when they restored him would he die then?

"Hiccup, who is this child?" Stoick asked as Hiccup cuddled the child a little closer.

Hiccup didn't answer, but it didn't stop someone else.

"Viggo," Tuffnut said cheerily as he and Ruffnut waltzed into the clubhouse with Smidvarge on his shoulder, chicken in his arms.

Fishlegs was right behind them with a big grin as he held a homemade wool sash. "I think we have everything we need for our new Dragon Explorer," he announced, before noticing everyone staring at them.

"Viggo?" Stoick asked, glancing back to his son.

Hiccup stood frozen for a moment, unsure what to say. Surprisingly it was Snotlout that came to their rescue.

"Viggo Jr. Johann was holding him hostage to keep the Hunters under control," Snotlout explained. He placed the morning's catch on the work bench and then strolled over to Hiccup and Viggo.

"That's why we call him V.J." Astrid explained. She gave Tuffnut a hard look, making sure he understood what was going now that the grown ups were there.

The male twin just grinned.

"Yeah, so that's why we're going with Fishlegs to do some dragon exploring with him. Wanna make sure he gets all his badges, don't we, bro," Ruffnut offered, elbowing her twin.

"Yeah, especially his Zippleback badge. Don't want him missing out on an important learning experience." He eyeballed Fishlegs, as if the larger male would skip over the mysterious class.

Fishlegs bit is lower lip as he neared Hiccup. "Viggo?" he said, addressing the child in his friend's arms. "Do you want to come with me and go exploring? Smidvarge is coming with us."

Viggo glanced toward the white Night Terror. "Can I hold him?"

A smile lit Fishlegs's face. "If he'll let you. He is kind of big."

Once Hiccup placed the boy back on the floor, Viggo hurried to Tuffnut and raised his arms for the small dragon. Smidvarge hesitated for a moment then climbed down Tuffnut's arm to sniff the child. A moment later he curled into Viggo's arms.

"There we go," Fishlegs's chirped. He gave Hiccup a thumbs up, then took Viggo's hand and led him outside, the twins not far behind.

Hiccup watched them go. He could feel his father's hard gaze on his back. He knew there were questions, he knew there would be the moment he sent for Gothi but he had no idea how to explain Viggo. He had to keep with the lie, even if he hated lying to his father. He squared his shoulders as he turned to his father.

"I know I should have told you exactly who he was but…" His words faltered at the look of pride his father gave him.

"I'm proud of you, son," Stoick said, placing both large hands on Hiccup's slim shoulders. "It takes a big man to not only save but care for an enemy's child."

"Uh…Thanks," Hiccup answered. He bit his lower lip and looked away. "It's the least I can do after Viggo gave his life for Toothless and me."

"Just keep an eye on him and don't let him over do it. His lungs are week and need time to heal. You're certain you don't know what happened to him?"

"Johann may have poisoned him. V.J. says he was forced to drink something before he managed to escape."

Stoick nodded, as if that explained everything. "The others know to keep a eye on him?"

"Yeah, It's the first thing we agreed on when we brought him here." He took a deep breath. "Dagur's gone to talk a relative of the Grimborns. We're hoping to set up with family, someone safe who won't hand him to Johann."

His father nodded approvingly. "Very wise, son." But there was a glimmer of a secretive smile in his eyes. It was a little unnerving and Hiccup felt his ears warming up. "You'll make a wonder chief and father one day."

"And there it is," Hiccup breathed to himself. He winced at the slap on his back.

Laughing, Stoick wrapped an arm around his son and decided it was a good time to have a little heart to heart about Hiccup's future.

. . .

"There's the boy," a Flier reported to Krogan from their perch on a high sea stack west of Dragons Edge. He pointed to the small group of riders walking along the buff with their dragons following close behind.

Krogan held up his spy glass and looked in the direction the other man pointed. "Haddock isn't with him," he noted with a frown. He lowered the spy glass. "Johann wants them both."

"If we attack now He's sure to come," the flier suggested.

"Yes, and we'll have to battle the six riders as well as their guests. We'll wait." He brought the spy glass back to his eye, unable to believe what he was witnessing. It would appear the riders had no clue who the child was or they would never have taken Viggo under their wing, as if he was one of them. This was something Krogan could use to his benefit. He would have to wait though. Either way, Viggo was not escaping again.

. . .

"Alright, explain this to me one more time," Ryker told Dagur, certain the Berserker had lost his mind. Okay, that was old news but this went far beyond the normal amount of craziness he had come to associate with Dagur.

"I told you, Viggo died saving Hiccup and Toothless then was somehow turned into a kid version of himself and attached himself to Hiccup's hip," Dagur told him, switching up the story a little due to boredom. He must have told Ryker a dozen times since being allowed in the Hunter's hut and finally convincing Ryker to come with him to the Edge. "Cute kid but I don't think Hiccup's ready to be a dad just yet. Although a kid would be much easier to handle than Snotlout and the Twins."

"Dagur, focus. Are you certain this boy is Viggo?" Ryker demanded. He sucked in a sudden breath as Sluether dipped toward the sea.

Dagur's head bobbed up and down. "Hiccup seems to think so. And let's face it, the kid is a spitting image of Viggo so unless your brother has a son out there no one knows about…"

Ryker sighed. "No," he said simply.

Viggo should have settled down years ago but never did. His mind was always too busy to focus on finding a mate, and when he did consider it no one could meet his standards. He wanted someone like himself, someone who could hold up to him intellectually. He had met plenty of brilliant young women but none were good enough, none held his interest long enough. Of course that didn't mean he couldn't have fathered a child at some point. The question would be why the mother would not step forward to claim Viggo as the child's father. It meant power and status. Viggo's child would be the heir to the Hunters. Unless that was what this was, not Viggo but a child he spawn that was now trying to lay claim to the Hunters. That would make far more sense than his brother somehow being reverted to child. The only reason Ryker agreed to go with Dagur was to ensure this child was returned to his people where he belonged.

"You okay?" Dagur asked when Ryker had been quiet far too long.

"Just thinking," Ryker answered.

The Berserker gave a small laugh. "Viggo used to tell me not to think. If only he knew how much his insults made me think more."

Ryker couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. We'll my brother lacked tack when it came to dealing with other people. He was always better with his head stuck in a book."

"Like Hiccup," Dagur agreed.

"I suppose." Ryker fell silent again. He hadn't really thought of that. Viggo hadn't really cared about other people until he encountered Hiccup. At first it had been a mere fascination, meeting another intellect like himself, but the boy had been merely another game piece. Then when Hiccup began to outsmart him that fascination became similar to Dagur's obsession as he challenged Hiccup more and more. Obsession turned to hate and led to the death of many Hunters. Ryker had survived by the grace of the riders, Dagur in particular. He had pulled him out of the sea along with several other Hunters that managed not to drawn with the Shellshocker took them deep under the water. Hiccup and his friends had nursed who they could back to health on the condition that when they left they would return to their own island and never hunt dragons or bother the riders again. Thinking Viggo had betrayed and abandoned them, Ryker had agreed. He no longer served Viggo.

Of course he didn't learn about Viggo falling into the volcano or losing half his face until Dagur told him. No one knew what happened to him until rumor spread that he was working with Krogan to end the Dragon Riders. All that did was fuel Ryker's hatred for his brother. Not only had he betrayed his people but he had teamed up with that bounty hunter of all people. It was the last nail in the coffin. Ryker no longer cared what happened to his brother.

"Oh gods!" Dagur breathed as they neared the Edge.

Singetails were sweeping through the sky, attacking and blasting at a forested area just west of the fort. There were dozens of Fliers and they seemed to be in formation, apparently attempting to separate the riders. It was impossible to make out which rider was where. There were more fliers than riders. In the distance he could hear the unmistakable bellow of Stoick the Vast. There were explosions and shouts and then a huge red Singetail broke from the group and shot off to the east.

"Krogan," Dagur breathed, his gaze following the red Singetail. His eyes widened when he saw the child seated in front of the bounty hunter.

Ryker stared at the child in disbelief, unable to believe his eyes. The boy saw him as well. His eyes were large brown pools of fear. He opened his mouth to say something but then the Singetail shot forward and disappeared in the clouds.

"Viggo…" Ryker whispered in shock.


	9. Chapter 9

Hiccup couldn't help himself and he needed an excuse to escape his dad. After an hour of endless questions about Viggo and then discussion of his betrothal, talk of the day he was to become chief, and then Stoick going on about grandbabies…Hiccup was ready to hide on the other side of the Archipelago. Lucky for him, he was engaged to the most amazing woman in the Archipelago. With one pleading look, he conveyed his unease and she stepped in to replace him, effectively drawing Stock's attention from the young heir and engaging him in discussion of the As he's defenses. Hiccup silently thanked her and slipped away.

It wasn't that he didn't want to think about his and Astrid's future. It was all he ever thought about when not dealing with the Hunters and now the Fliers. It was just his father always made him feel as if he needed to make those decisions now. Where would he and Astrid live? How big of a hut to build. A chief needed a large hut and a hearty lot of children. And now, seeing Hiccup care for Viggo, Stoick was in full swing and planning their upcoming wedding sooner than Hiccup was ready for. At least that's what he kept telling himself. Honestly he didn't know anymore. He felt like his carefree life went out the window when they began fighting the Hunters. When death became a real thing, or should have when Ryker and his men nearly drowned and Viggo fell in the volcano. When he nearly lost Astrid to Odin's Curse and Viggo had held her hostage. So much had happened since coming to the Edge. Many good but some very bad. And now here he was protecting the child version of a man who had once been his enemy and all he could think of was one day holding his own child as he and Astrid cared for their family and tribe.

Was his father right? Was it time he and Astrid gave up exploring and begin their lives as husband and wife just as Dagur and Mala were in only a few months time?

So much had happened. So much had changed. Dagur had changed. Dagur was no longer their enemy but one of Hiccup's best friends. Hiccup had changed as well. He wasn't so scared or angry. Despite Johann betraying them, he felt almost calm. Maybe it was all due to Viggo challenging him, making him look at things from another perspective.

He found the others in a clearing where Fishlegs was lecturing about Night Terrors while the Twins showed Viggo how to play catch with the dragons. Viggo seemed torn between playing and listening. That all changed the moment he spotted Hiccup and Toothless.

"Toot-ess!" he cried, running over to snuggle the Night Fury the moment he landed.

Toothless warbler happily to the boy and snuggled him back. The he began sniffing Viggo, making the boy giggle.

"No, I don't have any more fish!" Viggo cried when Toothless pressed his nose into the child's tummy.

Hiccup chuckled as he climbed off Toothless. "Were you feeding the Night Terrors?" he asked, kneeling down to pet Smidvarge."

"No," Fishlegs answered in confusion. "We were going to do that next." He glanced at the Twins.

"Don't look at us," Tuffnut held up his hands to show he had no fish. "We haven't gone to get any yet."

"That's odd. Why would he be talking to Toothless about fish?" Fishlegs asked Hiccup.

Hiccup's stomach dropped. He knew. "It was what Viggo fed him when he asked foe my help. He made me think he poisoned the fish but he hadn't. Toothless knew. He kept bugging for more fish after and I wouldn't let him have anymore because I was afraid. So he kept trying to convince Viggo."

"Oh wow…that's kind of creepy though," Ruffnut mused. "I mean slipping back and forth like that. One moment a little kid than some grown man with messed up memories. How much of the grown Viggo do you think is left?"

"I don't know," Hiccup confessed. He knelt down to speak to Viggo, to ask him if he remembered anything more about what happened before asking as a child, but his words were cut short as an explosion rocked the ground not far from them.

Viggo gave a cry and buried his face against Toothless's. Hiccup and the other looked skyward. A knot formed in Hiccup's gut at the sight of Krogan and a fleet of Fliers headed their way.

"Get to your dragons," Hiccup ordered his riders.

He scooped up Viggo and sat him in front of him on Toothless's saddle. He kept an arm wrapped tightly around Viggo's waist as Toothless took to the sky. This wasn't an ordinary attack. Hiccup knew that immediately when the Singetails kept firing to his right, pushing Toothless away from the other dragons and riders. The attack was targeted at him. That didn't surprise him in the least. Johann seemed to be out for his head, any trace of the former trader and man he grew up thinking was a friend to Berk gone. Normally Hiccup would have Toothless pick up speed and do barrel rolls, but with Viggo with them they couldn't do their usual maneuvers which left them open to attack. Hiccup dared a glance behind them. Krogan was right on their tail.

"You have to shake him, bud," he told Toothless as another blast kept them from retreating to the clubhouse. The other riders were scrambling to try and help them but the Fliers kept them at bay.

Toothless growled lowly. He banked upward, hoping to loop and drop behind Krogan, but the bounty hunter was prepared. He waited until Toothless's made his move then had his Singetail fire at Toothless's mechanical tailfin. The Night Fury gave a howl of rage and fired back, but the damage was down. Toothless couldn't stay in the air. He tried to aim for a cleaning, the grassy meadow they had just been or the beach not far south of it. Hiccup did he best to help but in the end all he could do was hold in tight and shelter Viggo from the fall. More explosions erupted to wither side, disorienting them until Toothless slammed hard into the rock face, missing his target and throwing his passengers from the saddle.

All Hiccup knew was bright light, the deafening sound of dragon fire hitting rocks, the sound of Viggo screaming then pain and darkness as he landed in a heap on the rocky ground.

. . .

Panic stripped Viggo of logic thought as the child like mind of his body took charge. He was hurt, he knew that. His hands and knees were scraped up from where he landed but he hadn't been seriously hurt. Hiccup and Toothless took the brunt of the fall, both trying to protect him as best they could. Now the three lay in a tangled heap, with fallen rocks making an unusual protective canopy around them. Toothless's wings had stopped the rocks crashing the humans, forcing the rocks around instead of on them. They had interlocked to create s shelter if sorts.

"Toot-ess?" Viggo asked, climbing out of Hiccup's arms to see what had happened.

The dragon warbler in response.

"I'm okay," Viggo assured before turning to Hiccup. "Hiccup!"

The young man lay next to Toothless. He had to have hit his head and if it weren't for Toothless holding up the rocks, he would be crushed. They all would. It triggered the Grown up Viggo. He crawled back to the youth and checked his vitals. Hiccup wad breather, his heartbeat was strong, but he had several gashes and his prosthetic was trapped under a small boulder. Luckily it was just the prosthetic and the rest of him didn't appear greatly harmed.

"Hiccup?" he asked in a voice not his own. He grabbed the youth by the shoulders and tried shaking him. "Hiccup? Hiccup, wake up. Please wake up."

Viggo felt dizzy. His sight swam and for a brief moment he wondered his he hit his head as well. He didn't feel as if he was bleeding.

The sound of rocks moving made Toothless bleat in sudden fear. Some of the rocks began to fall, narrowly missing him and Hiccup.

"Stop!" he cried, sheltering Hiccup's head as best he could. Panic filled him as the child side fought for dominance. "You'll crush us!"

"Then I would suggest you come out peacefully," Krogan deep velvety voice called in response.

Fear and anger took hold of Viggo. He watched as rocks trembled, threatening to crush them at any moment. Then it stopped. "Hiccup's hurt," he reported, although he wasn't sure why. "He can't be moved without the rocks falling." There was silence on response and Viggo wasn't sure if Krogan would simply kill them or rescue them. He could hear Krogan curse and had he been himself he would have laughed at the man. Krogan could be so easy to manipulate if you just pushed the right buttons.

"Then he is of no use to me. I'll make his death swift," Krogan said smoothly once he regained himself. "Johann only needs one map reader."

"No!" the child cried out, the older persona gone in an instant.

"Then come to me and I'll let him and his dragon live."

When did someone else's life begin to mean more than his own, Viggo wondered absently. He knew the answer. It was Hiccup. Hiccup had showed him what it meant to care for others. He showed him how family was supposed to me. What friends could be. Viggo stared at the youth now, his mind and that of the child he had become warring for supremacy. If he left, Hiccup would blame himself and come after him. If he stayed then they would both die. If he went, Hiccup would rescue him. If he stayed then the future died with Hiccup. And Hiccup had the Dragon Eye, two in fact. He could stop Krogan and Johann, Viggo could not. What was one life compared to world Hiccup can bring forth with the knowledge contained within the lenses?

Decision made, Viggo took only a moment to embrace Hiccup one last time in his little arms. "Don't come after me," he begged, the grown up side slipping away one last time. "Protect the dragons and stop Johann. I'll be fine." But he knew Hiccup would not heed his words and he looked to Toothless. "Don't let him come after me."

"Viggo?" Hiccup whispered, his eyes fluttering open.

Viggo hesitated only a moment before finding an opening between the rocks and slipping through. He paused long enough to look back and Hiccup and meet his gaze. He couldn't convey the emotions that raged through him so instead gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Hiccup reached out for him but was prevented from going far with his prosthetic trapped. Viggo looked away and kept going until he was free of the rocks and standing safely on the beach.

Krogan snatched him up the moment he cleared the rocks and the child gave a small scream of fright as he was hauled onto the man's red Singetail. He began kicking and struggling but Krogan had a firm grip as his dragon took to the air. He circled around the pile of rocks, once, twice and then commanded his dragon to blast the pile.

"NO!" Viggo shrieked, reaching out toward where he had left Hiccup and Toothless. All that was left was a smoking pile or rubble.

Krogan chuckled darkly and headed back to camp.

Tears rolled down Viggo's cheeks as he tried looking back toward the Edge, hoping beyond hope to see Hiccup chasing after them. What saw instead made his eyes widen. He spotted Dagur racing past with someone sitting behind him on his Triple Strike, someone that should have been dead. "Ryker?" he whispered more to himself that the man holding him hostage.

"It would seem dead men do live," Krogan mused. He snapped the reins to his dragon and they shot forward at such speed Viggo felt himself become sick and consciousness soon fled from him.

. . .

"Hiccup!" Dagur yelled, jumping off Sluether before his dragon even landed. He hurried toward the smoking pile of rumble where the other riders were quickly gathering. He began hauling rocks and throwing them to one side as he dug out the rider buried below. "Hiccup, answer if you can hear me!"

All he heard was moaning, which was far better than no sound at all. Ryker began moving heavy rocks along side him, and soon everyone was digging through the rubble. Not one person asked about Ryker being there, their concern solely on saving Hiccup and Toothless. Soon they found Toothless curled protectively around his rider, scraped up and bruise but otherwise both fine. It could only be a blessing from the gods.

"Hiccup," Dagur cried when Toothless lifted his so they could get Hiccup out.

The youth began coughing from the dust of crushed boulders and looked at Dagur with blurry and pain glazed eyes. "Viggo…Krogan has Viggo."

"I know, I saw," Dagur assured, helping his brother sit up.

"We have to go after them."

Dagur shook his head and picked Hiccup up bridal style. "No, you need to be seen by Gothi. The rest of us will mount up…"

"No!" Hiccup snapped, struggling to get out of Dagur's arms. "I have to go after them," he insisted. "I promised I'd…" His eyes fell shut as Ryker stabbed him with a tranquilizer dart.

Dagur gave the Hunter a dark look but couldn't object when Hiccup stopped struggling and instead went limp in his arms.

Stoick wasn't so forgiving and probably would have ripped out Ryker's throat if Astrid didn't get in the middle. "It's alright, it's dragon root," she explained hurriedly, having learned the Hunters' drug of choice. "It's to calm him down long enough to check his injuries. We use it all the time."

Stoick looked at her in surprise before glaring back at Ryker. "If you poisoned my son…"

But Ryker wasn't listening. He stared off in the direction Krogan had disappeared. Never before did he ever want to ride a dragon as much as he did right them. But he knew the child he had seen. He was a spitting image of Viggo. Every last little detail. He would know Viggo anywhere, at any age. Whatever Krogan wanted with Viggo couldn't be good if they somehow reverted him into a child. And no one got away with hurting his brother, no one but him.


	10. Chapter 10

Johann was not impressed when Viggo was presented to him. The former Hunter chief was nothing more than a slip of a boy now. Small with pudgy cheeks that would have been cute if Johann didn't know the man the child had once been. He didn't act like a man now but rather a frightened child looking about anxiously for a way to escape. Grown up Viggo would have been more subtle. Although with his small wrists tied and rope held tightly in Krogan's fist, it was unlike the boy would get very far.

"Where's Hiccup?" Johann snapped at Krogan.

"He'll be here soon enough," Krogan purred, not at all worried about the Hooligan heir.

"He killed him and Toothless!" Viggo objected in a high pitch cry. "He buried them in rubble!"

Surprised, Johann looked at the boy and then back at Krogan. "Is this true?"

"It was incentive. I could not reach the Haddock boy. Now he will come for him," Krogan explained, as if his actions were perfectly reasonable. "Hiccup Haddock is very much alive."

"He better be, for your sake," Johann growled, turning away to study the maps on his desk. "Do away with the boy. Hiccup is the one I want."

Viggo gave a small "eep" and stepped back. He couldn't go far with the rope tying him to Krogan but at the moment that didn't matter.

"We have another issue," Krogan warned, filling Johann and dragging Viggo along behind him. "It would appear Ryker is still alive."

Johann hummed softly to himself. "Ryker is of no concern to me."

"Perhaps, but he is within his right to seize control of the Hunters now that Viggo is presumed dead by their people," Krogan explained. He yanked the child to his side before placing both hands on the work table. "And if he has sided with the riders then we can lose what forces we have."

Johann looked at him with annoyance. "The Hunters are mine. Ryker knows his place."

"But…"

A sigh escaped Johann as he met Krogan's eyes. "If you believe Ryker to be that much of a threat then kill him. Use the boy as bait. But I want Haddock. He holds the key to the King of Dragons. And your client would benefit from a Dragon Whisperer, especially if we can convert Hiccup into a child and raise him as one of us."

Krogan frowned but said nothing more. He pulled Viggo behind him as he left Johann's tent and headed toward the one that had once been Viggo's. Viggo tried pulling away but he was too small and too weak to do much more than be a nuisance to the tall man. He stumbled and tripped but Krogan refused to stop and simply dragged him along until they reached the tent. Not much had changed inside. There was still the low bed, tables and desk that had been there when Viggo left. Nothing was out of place, although there was one new addition. A large purple dragon egg sitting on the desk.

Viggo stared at it in awe, no longer fighting as curiosity got the best of him. "Is that…" he began in disbelief. He gave a yelp when Krogan pushed him down against the pillar in the center of the tent and tied the rope binding Viggo's wrists to a ring midway up it.

"A Skrill egg?" Krogan asked in amusement. "It is."

"My Skrill?" Viggo asked, a mix of sadness and happiness at seeing it filling him.

The man chuckled lowly. "Your Skrill died, but not before laying a single egg. I thought you should have it." He stood and picked up the egg then placed in directly in front of Viggo, just out of reach. "Do you remember how Skrills hatch?"

The boy nodded slowly. It was one of the first things he ever learned about dragon hatchlings.

"Tell me."

Viggo stared at the egg for a long time. It was pulsing, little sparks of electricity lighting up sections of the shell. He swallowed as fear set in. "It begins lighting up the closer it is to hatching as It's power begins to grow. Then the egg explodes when the baby expels the built up energy, causing an elec…electric shockwave. That's why the mother places it in water."

"And when out of water how powerful is the shockwave?" Krogan purred, playing with a strain of Viggo dark hair.

The child looked at him. "The blast can kill everything within the immediate area."

The man nodded approvingly. "This one is due to hatch within the next few hours. If the shockwave doesn't kill you then the injuries you sustain will be enough to entice it to feed on you." Krogan gave a toothy grin. "Ever watch a Skrill feed on It's prey? It always starts with the soft belly and eats while the pry is still alive."

Viggo swallowed back his fear and glared at Krogan. "Hiccup's going to blow this camp to bits." His eyes narrowed to slits. "But not before Ryker tears you limb to limb." He gave a cry when Krogan back handed him so hard his little head snapped to one side, his cheek sting and bottom lip cut by his own teeth.

"Perhaps," Krogan cooed, leaning in closer to Viggo's ear. "But I'm going to enjoy watching the Skrill dine on your inners long before that happens." He punched Viggo in the stomach, seeing only the man and not the child before him.

Viggo inhaled sharply from the pain before his vision faded to black. All he could think of was the egg 's pulsating glow was growing with intensity.

. . .

Fitting a new prosthetic onto his stump, Hiccup got up and began gathering his weapons. He still felt woozy from the Dragon Root but he had no time to worry about it. Most of his injuries were mild, just a few bumps and bruises. Toothless was a little worse off but was already up and ready to go and waiting for a new tailfin which Hiccup happily put on him. He wasn't sure how long they had been out but it was too long as far as he was concern. Krogan had Viggo which meant Johann had Viggo and gods only knew what they would do to him.

The fact that this was no doubt a trap and Johann would be using Viggo to get Hiccup to hand over the lenses he had didn't matter. Viggo was a child Now, an innocent in all this, even if he had been the one to start this. That felt like a life time ago and it no longer had any bearing on Hiccup. His enemies were Johann and Krogan, not Viggo.

Although he couldn't suppress the yelp he gave when he opened his door to Ryker's raised fist, as if the man was about to knock on the door and instead just about knocked on Hiccup's startled face. Toothless gave the man a warning snarl and Hiccup absently reached for his sword.

"Whoa…whoa there, big guy," Dagur said as he ducked around Ryker to get to Hiccup. "Easy, Hiccup. We were just checking on you." He slipped between Hiccup and Ryker in hopes of keeping the peace between them.

"If you're planning to stop me from rescuing Viggo…" Hiccup began, knowing how strange it must have sound but not caring. He couldn't leave the boy in Krogan's hands.

"We're not," Ryker rumbled, his gave thoughtful as he inspected the youth before him.

"Stoick is planning a full scale rescue," Dagur explained.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and Toothless and I are supposed to stay here because we're injured," Hiccup added, having already had this argument with his father. He and Toothless were supposed to wait on the Edge with Gothi and recover. Well he wasn't. He had been hurt far worse than a whack to the head before and walked away from it. He wasn't about to sit by and wait for someone to free Viggo. He needed to get in there and find the boy before Johann decided to do away with him. "I'm going. Viggo is my responsibility. I'm not going to let…" He froze when large hands grasped his shoulders.

"He's my responsibility," Ryker corrected.

Hiccup met the larger man's gaze. He was hoping to see worry and devotion in Ryker's eyes, something to convince him that Ryker's intentions for Viggo were good. The confusion was there but so was the anger and hate he had seen when Ryker first discovered his brother's betrayal. Shaking his head, Hiccup stepped back. "No. I promised to protect him and I will…even from you."

He mounted Toothless and took off before either man could stop him, determined to get Viggo back even if he had to do it on his own.

Dagur folded his arms across his chest as his watched Hiccup and Toothless fly off. "What can I say? Little brothers are stubborn."

Ryker grunted in agreement. "No wonder Viggo felt such a kinship to him."

Dagur raised a brow. "Kinship? And here I thought it was something more…initiate."

The older man gave him a dark look but Dagur only shrugged. Turning back toward the clubhouse he waved to Astrid, gesturing in the direction Hiccup and Toothless had taken off in. No words were needed between to know Hiccup hadn't bothered waiting for any of them or why. He and Astrid had developed their own short hand where Hiccup was concerned. In a matter of minutes the rest of the riders were mounting up and chasing after their leader. Ryker stayed with Dagur.

"You know, Hiccup's pretty intuitive when comes to people…except Johann. He had us all fooled," Dagur began as he flew next to Snotlout and Hookfang.

Ryker let out his breath through his nose. "What are you getting at, Dagur?"

"I'm just saying I know what It's like to become obsessed with someone," the Berserker explained. "I obsessed over Hiccup for years. It's kind of like a love-hate situation. I wanted to be close to Hiccup because he proved he wasn't some cowardly runt who always screwed up. He was much more. So much more. But then he lied to me about Berk having dragons. He did it to protect his tribe and dragons but I took it as an insult. Never mind the fact I had already threatened war if they were. I wanted Hiccup to pay for it and kneel before me and beg my forgiveness. It was stupid but it controlled every aspect of me for a long time. And then I realized that my anger was stupid and all I was doing was hurting myself and him and Heather and I decided to change."

"So?"

"So Viggo must have been the same way. First he saw Hiccup as just another game piece to manipulate. No real threat just an annoyance. Then he got his ass handed to him and Hiccup proved he was far more than a game piece. In fact, Hiccup threw out all the rules to the game and Viggo no longer knew how to play. So he got mad and obsessive because Hiccup wasn't playing the game anymore. He got desperate and reckless and dangerous and forgot those around him. Hiccup has a strange way of doing that to people."

Ryker pondered Dagur's words. It was pretty much how things happened. When Viggo first encountered Hiccup he had been excited to finally be able to match wits with a worthy adversary, even if Hiccup was much younger than him. Things had been going so well. They were matched almost perfectly and Viggo had been able to manipulate Hiccup multiple times. And then Hiccup began getting the upper hand, his riders destroying all the Hunters' hard work and rescuing dragons constantly until the Hunters were nearly out of business. When it cut into their profit was when Viggo stopped being amused and became obsessive and wanting Hiccup killed and no longer cared who died in the process. That was when Viggo willingly sacrificed hundreds of his men, including his own brother.

"And at some point reality must have hit him hard," Dagur continued. "Maybe not right away. Probably not when you and your men went down with the Shellshocker. Probably after he fell in the volcano and lost half his face trying to recover the Dragon Eye. Nearly dying and then surviving with wounds that will forever scar you and can't be hidden. That's a serious wake up call. I wouldn't be surprise if he first returned to camp expecting you there and then realizing that he killed you. That's probably why he went into hiding. He finally felt shame. And That's probably why he helped Hiccup, to make up for his own stupidity."

"You talk too much," Ryker grumbled. He didn't care if Viggo felt guilt or shame. He had sent too many men to their deaths and had willingly sacrificed his own brother to rid the world of a handful of teenagers who were protecting dragons rather than moving their hunting grounds or trying to work things out with the kids…or going to their chief to file a grievance. Stoick would have made the riders leave the Edge if he knew why the Hunters were there and how they made their livelihood. Things could have been handled differently.

"I'm just saying it how it is. Viggo made a dumbass mistake and gave his life for Hiccup and Toothless in order to make up for it," Dagur pressed. "People change. I did, you did, and so did he. Maybe It's time you let go of your anger and see him for what he is now."

Ryker held his tongue. Viggo didn't change. He doesn't know how to. Whatever the body, Viggo Grimborn was still the same devious man he always was, he simply had a new tool to manipulate people with.


	11. Chapter 11

Fliers were expected them and patrolled the Hunter camp endlessly. They spotted Hiccup and Toothless immediately but for once Hiccup could care less. Toothless blasted at the men, careful not to hurt the Singetails. The others riders had caught up by then, having pushed their dragons to their limit to do so. They immediately went into attack position and gave Hiccup cover fire. Dagur kept close to Hiccup in hopes of protecting him and Toothless from whatever trap Johann no doubt had set up.

"Where do you think they're holding him?" Dagur asked, looking around the camp. There were cages scattered about, many with dragons trapped inside, but it seemed too easy to throw Viggo in one. Johann had a thing for theatrics and he wouldn't stick someone like Viggo Grimborn in the most obvious place.

"Better question," Hiccup countered, inspecting the Fliers. "Where's Krogan?"

Ryker had been silent most of the flight. His thoughts were a whirlwind of mixed emotions. A part of him wanted to believe Viggo had changed while another highly doubted it. He was still confused about how Viggo had been changed into a child. Above it all he was still angry. Angry his pawn had used him and his men as pawns. Angry that he had been left for dead and had to be rescued by Dagur and the riders. He wanted Viggo dead more than anything and at the same time he wanted to protect his little brother as he always had up until that fateful day when Viggo betrayed him.

He didn't know what to do except find Viggo and go from there. He would either save his brother or finish him off.

"You two focus on the Fliers. I'll find Viggo and deal with Krogan," he announced as he moved to jumped off the Triple Strike. It was close enough to the ground that he jump with hurting himself.

"Wait!" Hiccup went to object.

"Johann won't be fool enough to be with Viggo," Ryker said firmly. "He has a bigger plan in mine, no doubt you."

"Me?" Hiccup asked in surprise.

"Why else would he keep my brother alive, let alone change him into a child? He knew you'd come for him. Watch your back. I'll find my brother." Without giving either Hiccup or Dagur a chance to object further, he jumped to the ground below, swords drawn and ready to take on anyone who got in his way.

"Gotta give him points for finesse," Dagur mused as he watched Ryker plow into the Hunters. "So what now, brother?"

Hiccup watched Ryker as well. "He's right, Johann set up a trap. How about we spring it?"

Dagur gave a wide grin. "Sounds like fun."

Their dragons burst forward as they relayed the plan to the other riders.

. . .

It seemed out of character for Krogan not to engage in the air battle happening above of the camp. Most of the Hunters were focused on giving the Fliers cover fire, only to be shot down by the riders. If circumstances were different, Ryker would have led the charge. Most of the Hunters didn't get in his way, many bowing their head to him in respect. He had been their leader was believed dead, to see him alive and well took them by surprise. Some immediately fell in line, others challenged him…they didn't long.

"Where's Viggo?" Ryker demanded, grabbing one man by the collar and shoving him against the side of a make shift forge.

"Dead! He died, sir," the man stuttered.

Ryker's eyes narrowed. "Then where is the child? The one Krogan had with him?"

The man's eyes widened. "I swear, I didn't know he was one of yours."

"He's not. Where did Krogan take him?"

Swallowing a lump in his throat, the man gestured toward the Edge of the camp. "There…in Viggo's tent. It was repurposed for…"

Ryker shoved the Hunter away. Viggo's tent. It seemed ironic and painfully obvious. Where else do you keep a mastermind then in the one place he felt most save? He stormed toward the tent, his forefinger tapping anxiously on the gilts of his swords. His heart began to thump in his ears, his blood racing the closer he got to the tent. He hadn't seen his brother in months. Would he still be a child or a grown man again? Was this all a trick to lure him back? Viggo was a master at manipulating people. He could have fooled Hiccup and still be leading the Hunters. He could…

He pulled back the tent draped and stepped into the dim enclosure of the tent. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Perhaps his brother standing hunched over a map on his table or seated behind a game of Maces and Talons with that infuriating and condescending smile of his. Or even lounging back with a tankard of his favorite wine. He was not expecting the small child he had spotted earlier, sitting on the ground with his hands bound to a tent post. An egg sat just out of reach, pulsing purple and cracking with electricity.

Krogan stood in front of the boy and slightly to the right, a length of chain in one hand.

"Not exactly the guest I was expecting," Krogan greeted him.

Ryker let the drape full close behind him. He gave Krogan a cursory glance the turned his attention to the child on the ground. The boy stared at him with big brown eyes. His lower limp trembled every so slightly. He didn't move or say anything. He looked terrified, as if he was seeing a ghost. Perhaps he was.

"Viggo, have you forgotten your manners," Krogan purred. The chains jiggled as he adjusted his grip. "Say hello to your brother. And then goodbye."

He threw one end of the chain with expert percussion but Ryker was ready, he blocked with one sword. The chain wrapped around the blade but Ryker held tight and slashed at the chain with his other sword, breaking through it. "You think I've never dealt with dragon proof chains?" Ryker scoffed.

He grabbed the end of the chain and yanked Krogan toward him, surprising the smaller man enough to lay a well times punch to the face. It wasn't enough to knock him out but it did daze him. Ryker threw him aside like a rag doll and went for the boy.

"Are you alright?" Ryker demanded.

Viggo only stared at him.

"Are you alright?" Ryker said louder.

The boy nodded dumbly at him – definitely not a Viggo response – before his eyes widened even larger. "Watch out!"

Ryker should have seen the attack coming but his focus had been on the curious oddity that was now his brother. Krogan's chain wrapped around his throat as the bounty hunter jumped on his back. Both Krogan's hands wrapped around the chain as he planted his feet in the small of Ryker's back. He pushed with his feet and pulled on the chain, using both their body weights to choke Ryker.

Ryker dropped his swords and grappled to get a hold of the chain cutting into his wind pipe. He couldn't breath. He tried reaching behind for Krogan but the man manages to stay out of reached.

"Stop! Stop it!" Viggo screamed, struggling against his binds. "You're killing him!"

"I thought you wanted him dead," Krogan purred in response, digging his heels into Ryker.

"No! STOP IT!"

Black dots started to fill Ryker's vision and his knee buckled. Krogan pulled harder and Ryker felt his ear pop. He was going to die unless he could shake Krogan off. He threw his weight to the left, away from Viggo, and came crashing down on his side, knocking Krogan off him and loosening the chain. Fresh air came rushing to his abused lungs and he gulped it in greedily as he pulled the chain over his head and threw it aside. His vision slowly cleared and the first thing he saw took him back by surprise. The child was kneeling by his head, his bound hands giving him only a little leeway, but just enough for him to touch Ryker's face. Tears streamed down puffy red cheeks.

"Ryker?" came an incredibly small yet familiar voice that belonged to a time long, long ago. "Are you okay?"

A small surprised gasp escaped Ryker at the innocent question and he couldn't help the smile it brought to his face to be asked such a question. "I will be, little one," he wheezed.

He forced himself up on all fours, grasped his swords, and then stood. He coughed, his throat tender and aching. Nonetheless he turned to face Krogan who had abandoned his chain in favor of his own blade.

"You and I," Ryker growled, pointing one sword of Krogan. "We're not done yet."

. . .

Johann watched the riders with a frown. He had expected the five riders to follow Hiccup. He had been prepared for them and had given his men orders to kill them. He was even prepared for Dagur. The Berserker could be useful. With him he had control of Berserker Island and easy access to the caves beneath the island. Heather would fold if her only living relative was at risk. The siblings had proven quite close despite their history. What he wasn't prepared for was Stoick, who didn't hold back from lashing out of the Fliers and challenging Johann, even if he had yet to find him. If Stoick spotted him then Johann was as good as dead. He knew the Hooligans chief's temper. It was why Johann had waited so long to reveal himself. He had to rid himself of the chieftain in order to get his true prize.

"You really mustn't think too highly or us," a familiar voice chirped from behind him.

A grin lit Johann's face as he turned toward Hiccup with all the grandeur he normally gave the young heir when he would trade his wares. "Ah…Master Hiccup, how lovely of you to join us."

Hiccup had a thin smile as he glanced around. "I don't know, Johann. You seem to be all alone."

There was a blast of dragon fire and an anguished cry.

"Unless you meant him and…"

Another blast and cry.

"Or him, but they don't seem a problem now," Hiccup said cheekily as Sluether and Dagur descended on the other side of Johann.

"Clever boy," Johann sneered, glancing behind him at Dagur. He had not anticipated this.

"I always said he was the brains of the family," Dagur said, cracking his knuckles. "Guess my role."

"Aye, I see your point," the traitor grumbled. He raised his hands and took a step sideways. "Well, it would appear you have me in a corner."

Hiccup watched him, one hand on Toothless's head and leaning forward a little. "Give us the antidote," he said but he didn't hold out a hand, instead he drew his fire sword.

"Antidote?" Johann asked in wonder before laughing. "You really thought I had an antidote? Oh Hiccup, have you learned nothing? Why would I keep an antidote other than to lure you to me?"

Hiccup and Dagur exchanged a look. It made sense. It was a trap. Johann wouldn't have an antidote. If anything he have the potion and would try to…

Hiccup gasp as Johann launched a series of darts at him and Toothless. "No!" he cried, grasping his shield, but he couldn't draw it fast enough.

Dragon fire destroyed the darts mid flight. "Johann," Stock's bombing voice bellowed. He landed with Skullcrusher next to Hiccup. "Time we had a talk."

. . .

Krogan had escaped. The bastards had used Viggo as a distraction when the child cried out that the egg was about to hatch. For a moment Ryker didn't understand what he was going on about. Krogan had managed to land some devastating blows. Ryker's left arm was almost completely useless after blocking a blow meant for his head. Now the bounty hunter was gone but Viggo was in a panic.

Cutting the ropes binding the boy to the pillar, Ryker reached down to pick him up. "Come on, we don't have much time."

Viggo shook his head and pulled away. To Ryker's surprise, Viggo grabbed a thick fur off his bed, threw it over the egg than gathered both in his tiny arms.

"Viggo, what are you doing?" Ryker demanded, stumbling after him.

"I got to get it to water," the child explained. He dashed out of the tent, forcing Ryker to hurry after him.

"Viggo, wait!"

Viggo couldn't wait. He could feel the egg moving in his arms. The Skrill was about to hatch, it was moving in the egg, searching for a weak spot. There was minutes, maybe seconds before it hatched. He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, ducking around Hunters, avoiding dragon fire and heading straight for the small fresh water lake that served as the Hunters' drinking source. Ryker tried to keep up but his injuries slowed him down. Viggo reached the water long before his brother.

Electricity began running up and down Viggo's arms. It sent a tingling sensation through him but Viggo didn't stop until he was waist deep. Then he dropped the egg and fur together.

Electricity ripped through Viggo with such force he was thrown back. The fur was thorn to shreds as egg shells ripped through It, the Skrill exploding from within. Viggo landed with a splash several feet from shore, hair standing on end, unconscious and body smoking.

Ryker stood frozen in horror.


	12. Chapter 12

"Viggo!" Hiccup screamed as he watched in horror as the child was thrown by the hatching Skrill.

Toothless swooped toward the beach but stopped short of the electrified water. The smell of sulfur seeped off the water. Hiccup wasn't so cautious. He quickly dismounted and ran at full speed toward Viggo's limp body.

"Hiccup, No!" Dagur yelled, chasing after him. His yell was echoed by the other riders and Stoick as they tried to stop him as well.

Dagur managed to grab his brother by the waist and tackled him to the ground. Hiccup struggled under him. "Hiccup, stop it. Stop! You have to wait. The water is still electrified." He held Hiccup tightly and kept talking soothingly to him, promising Viggo was alright even if he didn't believe it himself.

It wasn't until the Skrill began flapping around in the water that Dagur felt it was safe to let Hiccup go. The initial shock from the Skrill hatching slowly subsided as the water drowned out the little dragon's power. Water and Skrills simply didn't mix. The little greater floundered toward the shore and the unconscious boy.

As soon as he was free, Hiccup pushed out of Dagur's arms and staggered into the water and to Viggo. The Skrill was already sniffing at the boy but Dagur scooped it up and got it out of the way. For once he was calm with a Skrill, whispering to it soothingly as he had Hiccup moments earlier.

Hiccup carefully lifted Viggo out of the water and moved him to the shore where the boy could be worked on. There were lacerations across his face and arms where pieces of shell had torn through the fur and cut him. He looked as if he was on the doorstep of death.

"Come on, come on," he breathed, feeling around for a heartbeat. "Please, Please, please…"

Ryker knelt next to the youth, taken back by Hiccup's actions. The anguish on the young man's face seemed misplaced given who the child really was. But that anger Ryker had felt before seemed the melt away as he touched Viggo's little cheek and felt the softness and warmth. He tilted the child's head back just a little, opening his airway.

"Come on, little one," he said gently. "Come on. You're too stubborn to let one little Skrill kill you." He rubbed the small chest.

A whispered wheeze answered him followed by coughing. Ryker rolled the boy onto his side and rubbed his back, allowing him to cough up any water he may have swallowed while listening to every shaky breath he took.

Hiccup gave a happy sob and stroked Viggo's hair. "Thank Thor," he breathed. He gave Ryker a watery smile. "Thank you."

Ryker gave a nod, although he didn't understand why the youth was thanking him. He lifted Viggo into his arms, surprised when Hiccup moved to object. He gave the youth a confused look as he stood. "What?"

Hiccup fumbled for words. Standing he rubbed one arm nervously. "We should have Gothi look at him. He had a strange rattle when breathing before…I doubt being electrocuted helped it any."

The rider had a point. Ryker looked down at the unconscious child in his arms. His breathing was raspy and labored. He needed medical attention. "Alright," he conceded.

Hiccup made as if to take Viggo but stopped and stepped back. "We can take him to the Edge. The Fliers have retreated."

"And Johann took off the moment the Skrill hatched," Stoick reported. "Our elder will be happy to look over your nephew."

Ryker raised a brow and glanced at Hiccup. The youth had a guilty look and was biting his lower lip as he stared pleading at Ryker. Understanding came to Ryker. Stoick the Vast was led to believe the child was Viggo's son not Viggo himself. He held his brother a little closer and gave a nod. "Thank you."

"What about this little guy?" Dagur asked, holding the Skrill and cooing softly at it. The hatchlings snugged against his armor.

"We didn't find any Skrills in the cages," Fishlegs reported. He gave an excited squeal at the sight of the baby Skrill and went to inspect it. "Maybe we can bring it with us."

"Berserk Island would welcome a Skrill," Dagur mused, sketching the dragon's little head.

Stoick ran a hand over his face. "Dagur, you can't…"

"We'll discuss it on the Edge," Hiccup quickly interjected, not wanting to have an argument break out. "Besides, you already have two dragon's, Dagur."

"But my people will raise it and treat it with the honor and respect it deserves."

"What about Sluether and Shattermaster?"

The Berserker fell silent but his adoration for the little Skrill was undoubted. He kept talking baby talk and Hiccup rolled his eyes in amusement. He'd talk to Dagur later when the chances of the Fliers returning with reinforcements were less likely.

"Mount up," Stoick ordered, squeezing Hiccup's shoulder. "Come on, son. The little one needs attention."

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed. He turned back to Ryker, who's attention was fully on the small boy in his arms. "You can with me and Toothless," he offered.

Ryker glanced at him then Toothless and shook his head. "We'll ride with Dagur." He waited for Dagur to acknowledge him then followed the Berserker to the Triple Strike.

Hiccup watched with increased worry. He wasn't sure if he could trust Ryker. Viggo may be his little brother but they had a history. Viggo had betrayed him and Ryker would have died if Dagur hadn't found him floating half dead in the sea, clinging to a piece of wood from one of the downed ships.

Ryker paused long enough to address the Hunters who had not fled with Johann and the Fliers. "Return to your home's and families. This war is over."

There was chatter amongst the Hunters but one dark look from Ryker shut them up. He mounted Sluether and laid Viggo over his lap. Dagur got on in front of him with the Skrill.

The other riders returned to their dragon's, all but Astrid who stopped Hiccup as he went to get back on Toothless. She took his hand and pulled him close so no one could overhear them.

"I found this," she said softly, slipping a small vial in Hiccup's hand. "It was attached to one of the darts Johann threw at you. I think it may be the same potion he used to turn Viggo into a child. Johann was going to do the same to you."

He stared at the vial in his hand. There was a dark liquid inside. Not much, the vial was small and light. He wasn't sure how powerful it was, it had to be if Johann had planned to use it on him. Perhaps it was enough for Gothi to create a way to restore Viggo to his adult self…provided he survived his injuries from the Skrill.


	13. Chapter 13

Gothi was not happy with keeping a secret from her chief. She thumped Hiccup in the head and began scribbling cusses on the floor then shook her staff before scribbling some more. Hiccup quickly smudged them with his foot in case his father stepped inside the clubhouse. Right now he and Gobber were on patrol with plans on returning to Berk as soon as Ryker left with Viggo.

"He wouldn't understand," he tried to explain. "We made peace with Ryker. And Viggo saved my life. He won't go to war with us again. Johann played us all. Please, I owe Viggo this much."

She folded her thin arms across her chest and gave him the look that clearly said he was playing a dangerous game that she would not soon forget.

"Please," he pleaded. "When I get back to Berk I'll do all your gardening for a month and hardest it all in the fall."

She pursed her lips in consideration.

"All the warm season plus harvest?" he tried, sweetening the pot.

Her eyes narrowed but after a moment she gave a nod. Chores would keep Hiccup out of trouble. She gave small nod and took the vial from him.

Satisfied she would help, he headed to Dagur's hut where Ryker was staying with Viggo. Dagur was bunking with Hiccup. Hiccup didn't mind but he wanted Viggo closer where he could keep an eye on him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so protective and secretive of someone like this. Toothless was the only one he could think of. Toothless was the only one he ever hid from his father and tribe. He had done everything to protect Toothless and keep their friendship a secret. It had blown up in his face but that friendship had also saved their tribe. What would happen when Viggo was restored was yet to be seen. Hiccup knew he would have to tell his father sooner rather than later. And he knew his father wouldn't take it well but he wanted to prevent war…just like when they had to hide the dragon's from Dagur and the Berserkers…Okay, maybe that was a bad comparison because it did lead to war. Either way he had to buy a little more time. Just enough to make sure Viggo was recovering from the shock and able to make the journey back to Hunter Island and that Ryker would take care of him. To be honest, he didn't completely trust Ryker. The riders were taking turns guarding Dagur's hut with at least one usually inside to watch over Viggo. The child was still in unconscious. He was breathing but had yet to wake up. Hiccup hoped he wasn't in a coma. Gothi said he was okay but could be in a coma up to a week, maybe longer. That worried Hiccup to no end.

Or it did until Dagur came bouncing across the bridge from his hut to Snotlout's with a big goofy grin. "Guess who's asking for you?" he said in that sing song voice that normally annoyed Hiccup. The baby Skrill was latched onto his back, sleeping soundly, it's tail wrapped around Dagur's slim waist.

Hiccup's face lit up. "He's awake?" he asked, excitement filling him.

"Oh Yeah, and after hugging Ryker half to death, he began asking for you. Ryker said I better get you before he lost it to utter cuteness." Dagur gave a laugh. "I think cute, happy Little Viggo is unnerving him."

Hiccup grinned at that. Little Viggo was a complete contrast to grown up Viggo and Hiccup couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make Viggo become the man he had been.

"Thanks, Dagur," he said, hurrying toward his brother's hut. Dagur trailed behind at a slower pace.

Most of the huts had the same interior design, although Dagur's followed Hiccup's almost to a T. There was a main living area on the main floor and sleeping quarters on the loft above. Hiccup could clearly hear Viggo chattering away to Ryker. It brought a smile to Hiccup's face. It seemed odd that such a sound could make him smile when grown Viggo used to get on his nerves. But that may have been because they were enemies. But right now Little Viggo's voice was the most welcomed sound he heard next to Toothless purring.

He went in the hut and up the stairs to the loft, excited to see the child, but stopped just short at the last step.

Ryker was sitting on the Edge of the bed, nodding every few moments as Viggo told him all about what had happened to him and his time with the riders. He didn't explain about how he became a child or even articulate his words like he did when his grown side emerged. It was purely a story told by a small child, exaggerated in areas when it came to flying, to the point he was even demonstrating how a Night Fury flew compared to a Singetail. He was even bouncing on the bed, something his grown up self would have frowned upon. And Ryker knew this but simply watched in wonder and fascination. Hiccup gave the moments a few extra seconds before finally knocking on the wooden wall to announce his presence.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything," he said as he entered the loft.

Ryker looked at him in surprise while Viggo squealed in delight.

"Hiccup!" the child cried, jumping off the bed and running to the rider.

Hiccup gave a laugh and scooped him up in his arms. "Hey munchkin," he teased, funny expecting Viggo to curl up is nose and tell him that wasn't his name.

Instead Viggo hugged him tightly. "Where were you? I missed you."

Hiccup exchanged a surprised look with Ryker but hugged the child back. "Oh you know…patrolling and making sure Gothi had what she needed for your medicine."

"Ewe…I'm not sick. Why do I need medicine?" Viggo objected.

Hiccup stared at him for a moment. "To make you big again."

"I am big."

Confused, Hiccup turned to Ryker, but the bald man only shrugged. "Okay…" Hiccup whispered, unsure how to respond. "How do you feel?" he asked the child instead as he carried him back to the bed. "You had a pretty big shock."

"I'm Okay," Viggo answered. He gave a little yawn and rubbed his left eye. "Ryker keeps telling me to get more sleep but I'm not tired. Can I play with Toothless?"

"Maybe after."

"Can we go flying?"

"If Gothi and Ryker say Okay," Hiccup told him, deciding it best to let Ryker make to call on what Viggo could and could not do. After all, Ryker was his next of kin and would most likely be taking him back to Hunter Island once he was restored.

"I'm hungry," was the boy's next request which caused Ryker to laugh.

"He's going to give you a whole list of wants and needs," Ryker warned. He ruffled his brother's hair and stood. "He's always been the demanding type."

"I don't mind," Hiccup assured, taking Ryker's place.

"You will."

There was another knock as Dagur stepped into his room. "Hope I'm not breaking anything up but I wanted to bring a friend to see our Little Man here."

Viggo looked up in interest as Dagur made his way to the bed. He looked around in confusion trying to see this friend Dagur supposedly had. It wasn't until Dagur carefully removed the Skrill nestled on his back that understanding came to him and he gave a cry of surprise and utter joy. "The Skrill!"

"Shh…" Dagur advised, a finger held to his lips. "He's just a baby and likes to sleep…a lot. I was going to take care of him but I simply don't have the time to care for a third dragon. My wedding is coming up and we're dealing with Johann and Krogan… So I'm pretty busy. I was wandering if maybe you can take care of him for Me?" He smiled when the child's eyes grew large with eagerness. "Skrills are very special dragons. My tribe worships them. He's going to need lots of love and attention and be fed very well. And kept away from storms until He's big enough to fly by himself. You're going to have to train him, too."

Viggo nodded eagerly as Dagur placed the sleepy little Skrill in his arms. "What's his name?"

"I don't know. How about you give him one?" Dagur stroked the little dragon's head before stepping back.

Viggo's brows bunched up as he thought of a name. "Bolt? Thunderbolt?" he asked, looking at Dagur for approval.

The Berserker gave a large grin. "That is a perfect name," he agreed.

Hiccup smiled at Dagur and gave a nod as well as a whispered "Thank you".

"We need to talk," Ryker growled, not approving for his now very little brother having a pet dragon. He gestured for Dagur to follow him, leaving Viggo in Hiccup's more than capable hands.

"He's grumpy," Viggo told Hiccup in a whisper, as if telling a secret. "He gets like that when he skips breakfast."

Hiccup nodded. His Dad was like that, too. "So, in all honesty, how do you feel?"

Viggo cuddles the dragon in his arms. The Skrill had wrapped itself around him much as it had Dagur earlier, only now on Viggo's front instead of his back. It's little head rest on the juncture between the boy's shoulder and neck. "Sleepy," he answered softly. "And thingy."

"Tingly?" Hiccup verified.

The child nodded. "Like my body is buzzing and jumpy."

Hiccup understood the feeling. He had been hit by lightning once and felt that way for days after. "It's probably from the shock."

"Yeah."

Viggo didn't meet his gaze. His attention was fully on his new friend. He stroked the dragon's back and cradled it like a babe, humming softly to it like a child with their favorite pet.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Hiccup asked, trying to judge how much of the grown up Viggo was left. "A lot has happened in only a few days. Being kidnapped must have been scary."

The child only nodded.

"Having Ryker save you must have been surprising?"

This made the boy look up. "Ryker got old," he said, surprising Hiccup. He shuffled forward on the bed and spoke in a conspiratorial voice. "He got big and lost all his hair. He looks like Dad."

Hiccup blinked, his worry mounting.

"And he doesn't smile," Viggo continued. "He always has this grumpy frown like I did something bad but he won't tell me what so I can't fix it. I don't like this Ryker. I want MY Ryker back."

"Okay. What's your Ryker like?" Hiccup asked, letting Viggo and the Skrill crawl onto his lap.

"My Ryker always smiled and played with me. He was never grumpy. This Ryker doesn't even like me."

Hiccup sighed and wrapped his arms around the boy. "This Ryker's been through a lot with his Viggo. I think it's going to take time for him to adjust to you."

"Why?"

"Well grownups who have been hurt by someone they love and trusted take longer to heal than others. We just have to give him time." The question was if Ryker could ever heal from Viggo's betrayal. What would he do when Viggo was restored to his rightful age? He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to Viggo, whether he remembered who he was or not.

. . .

"What do you mean by giving him that Skrill?" Ryker demanded, waving an arm angrily at Dagur's hut. "Are you insane? Have you forgotten who he is?"

Dagur was surprisingly came as Ryker ranted at him about Viggo and the Skrill. He leaned against the corner of his hut and let Ryker rant and yell until the man finally calmed down.

"First, my level of insanity as been well established, and second, that's not the same Viggo you knew. Heck, he's wasn't before being turned into a kid," he answered soothingly.

"With the exception of being turned into a child, I've seen no proof of That," Ryker countered, still angry.

"So Viggo has always been clingy and jumping into people's arms. Funny, I don't ever seeing that before. I thought it was kind of my thing to jump Hiccup whenever I could. He must have that effect on everyone." He gave a dramatic sigh. "And here I thought I was special."

Ryker's nostrils flared, giving him a very dragon-like look. "You know what I mean."

"Actually I don't. Did you know he tries teaching Toothless how to play Maces and Talons? He conned the Night Fury into helping him get the game down then spent have the morning explaining how to play it and the LOST when Toothless stole a piece."

The hint of an amused grin tugged at Ryker's lips. It spurred Dagur on.

"And you know how he ALWAYS has to have the last word or correct people? He much rather still at the table drawing or play. Heck, according to Snot-hat, before Krogan kidnapped him, the little guy was playing with the Terrible Terrors, even tried to keep Smidvarg as a pet. And he let Stoick carry him around. Ah hell, he let everyone carry him around. Viggo would have reprimanded someone after the first attempt." He took a deep. "Look, I know he's your little brother and was a complete dick, but before all this he had changed. I mean, he gave his life for Hiccup. And I get, forgiving is hard. I know better than most. It took almost for years for me to get over a stupid lie that was only done to protect Hiccup's tribe and dragons. Four years is a long time to hate someone over something so stupid."

"But Hiccup didn't try to kill you," Ryker argued. He shook his head and turned away, not sure where he was going but knowing he couldn't stay much longer.

"No, but I nearly killed Toothless and him and his friends so many times I lost track. I destroyed Astrid's family home, nearly killed Alvin the Treacherous – I actually thought I did for a while. But you know what? They forgave me. I don't know why they forgave me. I even kidnapped Stoick once. The thing is, they gave me a second chance. Maybe I didn't deserve. Maybe I still don't. But they gave it to me and I have done everything possible to be worthy of that forgiveness. Now I'm asking you to do the same with Viggo. Whether he stays like this or is restored. He needs you more than he'll ever say."

Ryker gave a grunt. "Save your flowery speeches, Dagur. Nothing you say will change the fact that that boy is Viggo Grimborn and he's not going to change."

There was silence for a moment as they glared at each other in a power of wills. One Ryker may have won before but not now.

"You did," Dagur said simply. "So why can't he?"

The older man opened his mouth then closed it, his frown deepening.

Neither one of them had noticed Stoick the Vast and Skullcrusher land on the platform below them. Even Skullcrusher's immense weight that caused the structure to shudder slightly was enough to tear their focus away from on another. Nor when Gobber and Grump landed next to him. Stoick gave his friend a perplexed look as they listened to the conversation above them.

"Now don't be jumping to any conclusions, chief," Gobber warned, raising a hand to ease Stoick as his face darkened in anger. "If you believe what those two a spurting then you'll have to acknowledge magic exists and we both know how much you hate such superstitions." Gobber, on the other hand, fully believed in magic.

Stoick gave a low, annoyed growl. No, he did not believe in magic, but he had learned long ago his son was exceptional and if magic did somehow exist then it would no doubt be attracted to Hiccup, or as had become the case with many other things, Hiccup would be the one to stumble across it.

"I need to talk to Hiccup," he announced, dismounting Skullcrusher and giving the Rumblehorn a warm pet. "If anything those two are talking about is true then Hiccup has a lot of explaining to do."

Gobber grumbled under his breath but followed his friend. With luck, Hiccup would grab Little Viggo and run before they made it to the hut.


	14. Chapter 14

Stoick decided to wait until Dagur and Ryker left the hut completely. He needed to speak to Hiccup in private about Viggo. It would do no good to lose his temper in front of the other two men. Dagur was protective of Hiccup and Ryker, whether he hated his brother or not, would protect Viggo. The last thing he wanted was to start a fight, especially in front of a child. Viggo may have been turned into said child, but Stoick had spent a little time with him and Viggo or not, the boy was too young to comprehend why people would be fighting over for a second…no third…time. He had to handle the situation delicately, something he wasn't exactly good at.

Gobber followed close behind, reminding him to stay calm and that they didn't know all the facts, and that maybe Hiccup had good reason for keeping it a secret. Stoick ignored him. There was never a good reason for his son to keep secrets from his father and chief.

For two large men, one of which with a wooden leg, they were able to move through Dagur's hut silently. Stoick gestured for Gobber to stay downstairs. He mounted the stairs slowly as he tried to come up with a way to approach the subject without seeming aggressive. Hiccup never responded well to it and this child may not as well. The problem was he always had trouble talking to Hiccup about such things. He thought back to when Toothless first entered their lives and how he had pretty much disowned Hiccup for doing something no other Viking had done before. That wasn't true. There was one other but Stoick didn't want to think of him.

And then there was Alvin. Hiccup believed he could change but Stoick refused to even consider the possibility only for his son to prove him wrong again. Was it possible that Viggo Grimborn had changed as well, more than physically? His death, or supposed death, had affected Hiccup greatly. Both times. The volcano incident had caused Hiccup to question himself, while Viggo sacrificing himself to save Hiccup and Toothless had made him grow up much faster than expected. Because this time it wasn't an enemy that threatened everything he cared about that had died over some silly trinket but rather someone who had inspired him and challenged him and made him become stronger and smarter and proved he wasn't the monster he let people think he was. Viggo had taught Hiccup about dragons and warfare in a way Stoick never could. And for That, Stoick both hated and admired the man.

There was soft talking above, causing Stoick to pause just below the loft, midway up the steps.

"Do I have to with Ryker?" the child's unmistakable voice asked.

"I'm afraid so," Hiccup answered.

Stoick peeked over the last step. Hiccup's back was to him and the boy appeared to be sitting on his lap.

"But I want to stay with you," the child whined, his small arms around Hiccup's middle. "I want to stay with you and Astrid."

"Oh bud, I wish you could. I really do, but it's not safe. If Krogan and Johann attacked again…"

"I don't care! I'll fight them. Just don't send me away. Ryker doesn't want me. Please…please let me stay. I'll be good!" Viggo pleaded, sounding as if he was in tears. "That bad Viggo, the one nobody likes, he won't come back. I won't let him come back. I promise."

Stoick couldn't help it. His heart ached for the boy. He watched as his son lifted the child up and hugged him tightly.

"Gods, Viggo…why do always have to make things so hard?" he breathed in the boy's hair. "I can't…we'll see. I don't know, okay? I'll talk to Astrid and Ryker. We'll figure something out."

Viggo gave a sniffle and small nod then buried his face in the crook of Hiccup neck and sobbed some more. Small Hiccup's escaped him as his body shook with the force of his emotions. Stoick watched silently for a few minutes then sighed softly. He'd talk to Hiccup later. Right now he had his arms full, quite literally. And he knew an upset child when he saw one. That boy may have once been a man but he was no longer. No doubt that was the primary reason Gothi had been summoned, not just to care for his injuries but also the help discover what had happened. She may hold the answers. If not her, Astrid would.

He ushered Gobber quickly and silently out if the hut.

"So now what?" Gobber asked, surprised Stoick hadn't confronted his son.

"We talk to Gothi and Astrid," Stoick said simply. He gave his friend a cheeky grin. "You get Gothi."

Before Gobber could object, Stoick mounted Skullcrusher and took in the direction Astrid was doing patrol. He'd take his future daughter-in-law over the old healer any day.

"You know you're lucky I like you!" Gobber yelled after him. He adjusted his helmet, already imagining the new dents Gothi was about to put in it, then headed to the clubhouse. "Gothi better be in a good mood or we're heading back to Berk without them, eh Grump?"

His dragon gave a rumble in response and curled his head under one paw to take a nap.

. . .

Astrid wasn't surprised when Stoick cornered her about Viggo. She stared at him for a moment before smiling and glancing toward Snotlout who was lazily sitting in a watchtower.

"Two days, I won," she announced.

He looked up with a frown, counted on his fingers then glared at her. "Damn it! I had tomorrow," he grumbled, slouching back as Hookfang climbed around the tower.

Stoick looked back and forth between the two before sighing. "So you all know?" he asked, somehow not surprised Hiccup had convinced his friends to keep the secret. He wasn't too happy that they had wagered how longer it would take Stoick to figure it out.

Astrid rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly. "Well at first it was kind of hard not to notice he was unlike other kids we've dealt with. It was just little things. Like when he told us his name and then spelt it out for us. Then playing Maces and Talons with Toothless and asking if I hated him and apologizing if he hurt me. It was a lot of little things. Dagur figured it out first. It came more as a shock for the rest of us."

Stoick nodded in sympathy. "I can imagine. How did this happen?"

She shrugged. "According to Viggo, he was forced to drink something then woke up like…well that." She gestured to Dagur's hut. "Hiccup's been very protective of him. He blames himself for letting Viggo sacrifice himself. In the short amount of time they worked together they formed a bond. Now… Stoick, I've never seen him dedicate himself to someone as much as he has…except Toothless and…"

"You?" her chief asked.

She smiled and gave a small laugh. "Yeah. It felt odd but good having Viggo in my arms and laying next to Hiccup. I never thought about him and me actually having kids until then. It felt…I don't know…right."

Her chief nodded in understanding. He remembered that feeling, of lying in bed with Valka and Hiccup and how at peace he felt having them in his arms. Was that the feeling Hiccup had now? Was he ready to be a father and a husband. They were the biggest commitments anyone could ask for. It reminded Stoick that his son was no longer a little boy but rather a grown man, no far from being married and starting his own life.

"Is he a threat?" he asked, tearing himself away from his fantasy of becoming a grandfather. "Can we trust him?"

She pulled at the end of her braid nervously. "I don't know. I don't think so. Everyday his scars healed more and he began speaking more and more like an actual child. I don't know how much of the real Viggo is left and how much has become that of a five year old. All I can say for sure is if he wanted to hurt us or Hiccup, he's had plenty of chances. He could have killed me or him while we slept but he didn't. He could have given Johann the Dragon Eye but he gave it to Hiccup. He's not our enemy anymore."

"Perhaps," Stoick hummed. It was more to himself than her as he absorbed the information she had given him. He worried that the guilt Hiccup was feeling might be clouding his judgement. Hiccup wore his heart on his sleeve. He took everything to heart, made it personal. It was something Stoick had tried hard to help him over some since he was a child. It all tied into his son's almost constant need to prove himself even when he didn't have to.

Dismissing Astrid, he decided to Have a talk with Fishlegs and get a perceptive from someone who he hoped had not become attached to the child Viggo as much as Hiccup and Astrid had. And Fishlegs was much easier to find than just about any other rider, not that Stoick was interested in talking to anyone else…other than maybe Dagur, who seemed to have a firm handle on what was going on with both Viggo and Hiccup, strangely enough.

Fishlegs was tending his garden. Stoick didn't quite get the young man's fascination with plants and flowers but his section of the fort was quite peaceful by comparison. A nice place to retire after a weary battle.

Fishlegs looked up from the flowers he had transplanted when Skullcrusher landed nearby and gave a bright smile at seeing dragon and rider were careful to avoid his garden and multitude of plant life.

"Good day, chief," he greeted. Standing, he wiped his dirty hands on the end of his tunic then walked over to Stoick. "Taking a break from patrol? I have a hot tube you can relax in."

Stoick chuckled and returned the smile. "Maybe another time, Fishlegs. I actually wanted to talk to you about Hiccup's little friend."

As expected, the youth's face fell and he looked away. "What about VJ?"

Stoick gave him a moment to calm down and relax before pointing out he knew who VJ really was and that no one was in trouble. "You're Hiccup's best friend. You've been watching for him ever since the Red Death incident. All I want to know is; is he in his right mind around Viggo? He used to obsess about stopping him and then Viggo suddenly sacrifices himself for Hiccup and all is forgiven?"

Fishlegs looked up in surprise. "No, that's not it. Hiccup feels guilty, not just about Viggo giving his life for him and Toothless but for everything." He folded his arms across his chest and hugged himself, a sure sign that what he was about to say had to stay between them. "It's everything. Johann conned us into going to the ship grave yard. He tricked Hiccup into going on the Reaper and finding the Dragon Eye because Hiccup's the only one who could have got it. And if he got killed then he was out of the way. Johann would win either way. And he's the one who helped free Dagur and send him to the grave, too. I guess Johann thought he had a better chance stealing it from Dagur than us. And Johann was also the one that got Dagur and Heather involved with the Hunters, first just buying dragon proof cages and such then joining up to retrieve the Dragon Eye. Everything that has happened was because Johann kept pulling all of our strings, including Viggo's and Ryker's. Hiccup thinks of himself as a good judge of character but Johann played every singly one of us. If it wasn't for him we never would have encountered the Hunters. We never would have been at war with them…or even the Berserkers. And that's what's eating at Hiccup. He doesn't know how to deal with it."

Stoick rubbed his forehead. That sounded about right for Hiccup. He had to admit though, Johann had manipulating them all. But Hiccup had known the man all his life, ever since he was a child younger than Viggo was now. Johann always dotted on him, brought him ink and parchment and even helped him with his Latin when Old Wrinkly grew too sick to continue his lessons. Yes, Johann could get annoying with his tall tales but when Hiccup was little he always rushed to Johann to hear the latest one. That changed as he became a teen but it was natural. To think that Johann had been using them all this time was crushing, not just to Hiccup but Stoick as well. He had trusted this man with not just his tribe but his only child. If anyone should feel guilt it should be Stoick.

"You've spent time with the child. Is there anything remaining of his former self?" Stoick asked, steering the conversation away from the obvious guilt his son was experiencing.

Fishlegs relaxed further and took a deep calming breath. "If there is It's not enough to worry about right now. Once Hiccup restores him…that's another question."

"Restores him?" Stock's blood ran cold at the very thought.

"Well yeah," Fishlegs answered, confused. "He can't stay a child…can he?"

Stoick wasn't sure. More questions ran through his mind as he tried to understand why his son would ever want to restore an enemy to power. It made no sense. He still needed to talk to Hiccup and get a better understanding of what was going through his head. Yet at the same time he wanted to let the boy be. He obviously cared for the child. Was it right to leave him as he was or return him to his true form? And what of the injuries he had sustained prior to being changed? Would they reappear and finally kill him? Would he turn against Hiccup and try to steal dragons once more?

Stoick had more questions than answers and he wasn't sure what was best for his son and tribe anymore.

. . .

Viggo awoke with a start late into the night. His heart raced with a mix of fear and adrenaline as his nightmare replayed before his eyes. No, not a nightmare but rather a memory. A memory of clashing Hiccup's hand and telling him and Toothless to run. Arrows pierced his back, hitting vital areas and sending pain shooting through his spine and down into his knees. He had fought to stay standing to simply walking with his head held high. Thunderbolt was with him…No, it was his mother. She had gently nosed him, knowing he was dying. It was only a matter of time. He rushed surprised Hunters, men who once followed him but now followed Johann. The clanging of metal as slashed with his sword, killing the front men before they could fire their crossbows. An arrow in the stomach had knocked the air out of him but still he fought. He heard a growl behind him, felt his hair stand on end. The Skrill was pooling it's energy, causing electricity to crackle all around. It would the most powerful blast he ever witnessed and it brought a twisted smile to his face.

When the electricity ripped through the cavern, it tore through Viggo. He felt it through every inch of him, from his finger tips to his toes. It was worse where the metal arrow tips pierced his body. They burned and seemed to jump of their own accord. Or perhaps it was his muscles jumping from shock, creating even more damage. It went on for even, his body jerking as the wave continued through him to the men he was fighting.

The cavern shook with the force, causing a cave in. Large chunks of rock fell all around him. Two men were crushed. The other fell. Viggo shook for a moment more, his heart feeling as if it might explode. His lungs gave out first, making it impossible to breath. His body jerked and spasm, fighting for air. His heart pounded so fast and loud it didn't seem human. And just as he couldn't take anymore it all stopped. His world became silent then faded to black as his vision went last.

The memory made Viggo clenched his chest. It ached, as if he was experiencing it all for the first time. A small yelp escaped him as Thunderbolt snuggled against his feet. Confusion filled him for one brief moment and then he relaxed. Thunderbolt was his dragon. He had a dragon? When…why…? Other memories came back but they were seen through the eyes of a child. Wait…that wasn't right. He was a child. That didn't make sense. His mind felt hazy, as if their was a veil keeping everything just out of sight and filled him with the urge to cry out for someone. For Hiccup to hold and cuddle him and tell him everything was going to be alright.

Realization hit Viggo harder than ever before. He was battling himself. His grown up mind was battling that of his child self and the grown up was losing. It felt like someone was taking a knife and trying to carve out everything he had ever been.

Fear filled him. He didn't know how long he had. He couldn't remember the last time his adult half had been fully in control. He vaguely remembered Krogan standing over him, asking about the Skrill egg. He remembered a glimpse of Ryker fighting Krogan then nothing after. The Skrill snuggling his feet must have been the one from the egg. And Ryker…

He glanced across the room to the large form laying in the next bed. It wasn't Hiccup, Hiccup was in his own hut.

"Ryker," he breathed, surprised by the relief of seeing his older brother alive. A small sob of joy escaped him but he managed to stifle the rest. He didn't have much time. He couldn't let his mind fade back to that of a defenseless child.

He slipped out of bed and looked around. This wasn't Hiccup's hut so it took a little longer to fine parchment and charcoal. Once he did, he began writing as quickly and neatly as possible. For all he knew this could be his last time ever able to think as himself. He wrote three letters, one for Ryker and one for Hiccup and one for child self. Then he stared at them for a long time, debating if he should rip them up or not. The decision was not his own as a sleepy yawn escaped him and Thunderbolt climbed onto his back. He hoped Hiccup and Ryker understood what he wrote but soon that thought faded with the need to sleep.

"What are you doing?" Ryker grumbled as Viggo clamber up onto him. He rested his little head on the man's broad chest, the Skrill still attached to his back.

"Snuggling," Viggo murmured innocently, the Big Viggo gone and replaced by Little Viggo.

"Then sleep on your own cot," Ryker growled, clearly annoyed at being woken up.

Viggo stretched out and nuzzled his head just under Ryker's chin, already falling back asleep, this time into a restful, peaceful slumber. Ryker frowned down at him then sighed and adjusted his blanket to cover the child and Skrill as well.

"If that thing zaps me you're grounded," he warned. Then with his arms around the boy as if he were one of his own children, Ryker went back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

It took days for Gothi to come up with a cure for Viggo but during that time the child could care less. He ran around Dragons Edge as if it was his own big playground, keeping the riders on their toes while his new best friend and Skrill, Thunderbolt, tried to keep up. The Skrill's little wings beat furiously and Viggo would stop, run back to help the dragon, then have it chase him again in an attempt to help it fly. There was a lot of giggling involved.

Hiccup watched from nearby, a small smile on his face. Every now and then he had to remind Viggo not to go too close to the water and that Skrill's were not particularly fond of water. Not just that, but there was a thin layer of snow on the ground and the water was far too cold for either dragon or boy to play in. For the most part Viggo listened very well and did as he was told.

Not far from where Hiccup stood was Ryker. The Hunter water his younger brother intently, a frown never leaving his face. Hiccup wasn't sure what to make of him. There was still a lot of anger in him and Hiccup worried that letting him take Viggo was a mistake. Once Viggo was restored to his adult state their person war may resume and that wasn't something Hiccup wanted. He didn't know how to approach Ryker let alone talk to him. He might have helped Dagur save the man but Ryker still had a way of frightening him with a single look. When he was with Viggo or Dagur or even Stoick, Ryker didn't seem as scary, but by himself…Hiccup decided to keep his distance.

Maybe things would be different when Viggo was restored. Perhaps they would work out their differences and Ryker would mellow out a bit. At least Hiccup hoped so. If they could bring peace between their tribes and work out the dragon situation then things would be much better all around.

He felt his father's heavy footsteps on the wooden floor long before the man placed a large hand on his shoulder.

"Now there's a sight," Stoick mused, coming to stand next to his son. "A small child afraid of nothing and befriending one of the most fearsome dragons known to man."

Hiccup's smile grew, catching the comparison instantly. "The sight in his left eye is almost back. Still blurred but he can see more than shadows now. And all the scarring is gone." He had finally confessed everything about Viggo to his father after Astrid and Fishlegs informed him that Stoick knew what was really going on. Hiccup had feared the worse, that his father would be angry at him for keeping Viggo's identity a secret, but he had been rather calm and surprisingly understanding.

"It will be a shame for him to lose everything he got back all over again," Stoick mused.

Hiccup's smile faltered. Of course his father would have to bring that up. It was the one thing they continued to disagree on; whether or not Viggo should be restored to his former self. Hiccup believed he should be, not to answer for his crimes – which would come in time – but to help them defeat Johann and Krogan. Although he still worried doing so might cause his injuries to return and possibly kill him, which he was prepared for and had Astrid and Fishlegs setting up an area in the clubhouse to treat his injuries immediately. Even Gothi and Gobber were preparing for possible surgery. Hiccup had made a check list of things that needed to be cared for immediately after Viggo returned to his true form.

Stoick, on the other hand, believed Viggo should be left as he is now, a child happy and free. A part of Hiccup wanted that, too. He didn't want to see Viggo doubled over in agony as blood spilled from area wounds that had pierced his lungs and other vital organs. He didn't want to see those dark eyes that were so funny but also void of a restful sleep. He didn't want to be tricked and toyed with or have his friends used against him ever again. Maybe Viggo had changed for the better but there would always be that part of Hiccup afraid he might betray him.

But this wasn't about what Hiccup or even Stoick wanted. It was about Viggo and what he wanted and what was best for him. They couldn't make the decision, that belonged to Viggo or even Ryker, all they could do was provide the cure which Stoick placed in Hiccup's hand. Hiccup stared at the small vial for a long time then up at his father.

"Gothi didn't have much to work with. I hope that's enough because that's all there is," Stoick informed him. He gave his son's shoulder a squeeze. "What you're doing…" he trailed off for a moment, unsure how to word his thoughts. "It's a very kind thing for someone who was your enemy. I'm proud of you." He gave a gentle smile that Hiccup returned with a little surprise. "When are you planning to give it to him?"

Hiccup was hesitant. He looked back to the child playing with the hatchling. Several of the Night Terrors had joined in the fun and it seemed Viggo was trying to tag them. "Tonight, at bedtime. We'll put him on the big cot so he's comfortable throughout the process. Gothi may have to put him in an induced coma."

Stoick nodded. "I'll discuss it with her. Dagur as already agreed to let us use his hut for surgery. Gobber has just about everything in order."

Giving a nod, Hiccup stared at the vial once more. Did he really want to go through with?

. . .

The day passed both unbearably slow and far too fast in Hiccup's opinion. He had gone about the last minute details and preparations himself, unsure what to expect and honestly fearing the worse. He had placed extra furs on Dagur's bed as well as every medical case and bandage sheet he could find under it. No need to frighten the child but prepared to care for the adult. Hiccup was pretty sure everything that can go wrong most likely would and he wasn't about to allow that.

Ryker watched him silently. At first Hiccup tried to keep the child out of the way by sending him a errands for Fishlegs but the child was determined to stay by his side so Hiccup let him carry the light and breakable items. When the time the room was ready, Hiccup nodded to himself in approval and caught Viggo mimicking him. It was too adorable for words and Hiccup once again questioned himself if he was doing the right thing.

"Are you upset?" Viggo asked as they made their way to the main floor. Toothless was playing with the baby Skrill, keeping him distracted while Viggo helped Hiccup.

"No, just a little sad," Hiccup confessed, surprised by how attentive the child was.

"Because I have to go away?" the child asked. There was a shimmer of tears but they didn't fall. "Ryker says we're going home soon. Another day or two depending on how things go tonight."

Hiccup nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, Dagur's going to fly you back."

"Why can't you?"

A sigh escaped Hiccup. He had asked the same thing. "Because Ryker doesn't want me to know where your island is…in case something bad happens."

The boy gave him a confused look. "That's silly. If Dagur knows then you'll know."

Hiccup gave a small laugh. "Not necessarily. Dagur made your brother a promise, and Dagur doesn't break his promises. It would ruin their friendship."

"Oh…okay. But how can you visit me if you don't know how to find me?"

Good question, but Hiccup figured after Viggo was restored it was unlikely they would visit each other. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can send Terror mail back and forth. You know, update me on your process or just to chat."

Viggo beamed happily up at him. "I'd like that."

Hiccup returned the smile, although it was a little more forced. The chances of them sensing letters back and forth was as unlikely as visiting each other. "Me too."

Dinner was an oddly silent affair. That was normal when the adults visited and was even quieter with Ryker among them, although he usually took his food and ate either outdoors or in Dagur's hut. This time Stoick had him eat with them and what had been rather silent with oddly the odd conversation, became as quiet as the grave. No one knew how to approach Ryker or get him to talk, although Dagur did try. Even Stoick attempted to get the man to talk but Ryker was lost in his own thoughts and stared at him bowl of mutton with an angry scowl. It had been Snotlout's turn to cook and the rather prideful rider had taken the silent as an insult and was sulking into his own bowl of food.

Little Viggo kept glancing around the table in confusion, not used to it being so quiet. "Fish-eggs, can we go exploring tomorrow?" he asked, still having trouble pronouncing his Ls.

Fishlegs looked up in surprise. "Oh…tomorrow?" he asked. He looked to Hiccup, who sat next to Viggo and Astrid. His leader sigh softly, looking sadder than he had ever seen him. "Uh…Yeah, I suppose."

Viggo noticed as well and placed his little hand over Hiccup's. The youth muster a smile for him but said nothing else, lost in thought.

Dinner proceeded that way, as did most of the evening. Hiccup did his best to keep cheerful for Viggo. He took him out for one last flight on Toothless just before bed, and even read him a bedtime story when tucking him in. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with the child, knowing the next morning he would be dealing with the adult Viggo…or sensing him to Valhalla.

The thought of failing and losing Viggo made him want to spend just that much longer with the child. It must have effected the other riders more than Hiccup considered. The others came one at a time to wish the boy and good night. Even Stoick and Gobber took a moment to visit.

Astrid gave Viggo a kiss on the forehead. "You get a lot of sleep and I'll see you in the morning," she promised, running her fingers through his raven hair. There was a hint of tears but she blinked them away, replacing them with a motherly smile.

The twins gave the boy a big hug between them. Snotlout made a face then playfully flicked the child's nose and said he'd see him around. Fishlegs was nearly in hysterics and babbling confusingly to the point Viggo had to hug him to assure him everything was going to be alright.

Gobber smiled lovingly down at the boy and wished him a simple goodnight while Stoick leaned back to give everyone else room. Then approached when the riders and Gobber had finished.

"You may never remember this," he began, sitting on the Edge of the bed and cupping the child's face. "But I want to thank you. You taught my son more than I ever could and you showed me how much of a caring and loving young man he is. You showed me what a great chief and father he will one day become. Thank you."

Viggo was confused but smiled nonetheless. "You're welcome."

Stoick smiled and placed a small kiss on the top of his head, despite knowing who he really was and was about to become again.

Dagur was last but his good bye was unlike the others. He ruffled Viggo's hair and gave a big grin. "See you on the flip side," he teased then followed Stoick and Gobber back to the clubhouse.

Hiccup was left alone with Viggo and Ryker and he suddenly felt out of place. He fingered the vial in his pocket, debating with himself to proceed or not. But the choice wasn't his. Taking a deep breath, he handed it to Ryker.

The man took the vial wirelessly and stared at it for a long time. He turned his attention back to Viggo.

"Look…whatever happens I'll be here for you. I'm not letting you go, okay?" he said urgently which only seemed to confuse Viggo more. "I'm spending tonight here so I can watch over you and then tomorrow…We'll see what tomorrow brings."

"You're crying," Viggo whispered, leaning forward to wipe at Hiccup's tears with his sleeve. "Why are you crying?"

Hiccup sniffles and wiped at his wet cheeks. "I don't know. I'm being silly, I guess." He gave a small laugh when the child kisses his cheek as if to kiss the sadness away.

"It's time," Ryker announced, shooing Hiccup away. He took the rider's spot and sat before Viggo.

Hiccup bit his lower lip. He should leave and give the brothers privacy but he had promised Viggo and himself to stay. They had no idea how quickly the potion would world or what effects it would have. Gothi had only tested it on a plant, not a person. If Viggo began aging too rapidly his body could tear apart.

For a long time Ryker sat on the Edge of the bed quietly, his frown still in place as he stated at his brother intently. Slowly it softened and he took a deep breath as he held the vial. "Are you ready, Little One?"

Viggo nodded. "Will it hurt?" he asked in a tiny, frightened voice.

"Yes," Hiccup wanted to say but held back. He couldn't hold back his tears though.

"No," Ryker said instead and Hiccup wanted to scream at the man for telling the child such a lie.

Ryker stroked Viggo's little cheek, let out a small sigh and then pulled the boy into a hug. "I'm going to do you this one favor on the condition you never betray me again."

"Why would I betray you?" Viggo asked, his voice muffled by Ryker's chest.

The Hunter gave a broken laugh, as if his heart was still mending and he was unsure if he should take the child seriously. He carefully pulled away and held the vial for Viggo to see. "This is what is going to make life for both of us much better."

He pulled the stopper out of the bottle, held it between them for a moment then dumped the contents on the wooden floor.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup cried, reaching out to stop him.

Once the amber liquid was gone, Ryker dropped the vial on the floor and crushed it with his boot. "Exactly as he asked me to," he answered. He cupped the child's face in one large hand and for the first time gave a real smile that filled his whole face. "I was waiting to see if he was going to change his mind…if the adult Viggo would resurface. But he didn't so I fulfilled his final wish."

Hiccup stood there completely befuddled and looked between the happy Hunter and giddy child. "I don't understand," he whispered, at a complete loss as to what had just happened.

"Go to sleep, Little One," Ryker told Viggo, tucking him into bed with his Skrill. Getting up, he went to his bag sitting on a low table and pulled out a bunch of parchment. He handed one to Hiccup and placed to rest back in the bag.

Hiccup looked up at him in confusion. The letter was addressed to him. He took a seat in the chair next to the small cot Viggo normally slept in and began reading silently, hoping to make sense of what had just happened.

"My Dearest Hiccup,

If you are reading this then Ryker has granted me this one last favor and allowed me to stay in this child body. I have no idea how long my consciousness will remain in this form. I can already feel it slipping away as I write.

I apologize for all the work you and your friends must have gone through to try and restore me. I am sorry for putting you all through that. As to why I have chosen to remain a child? It was not a hard decision. I have done many things you would consider wrong, Hiccup. Some I am not proud of, but I do not wish to die, not yet at least. And I know I will if I return to my former state.. I am dying, Hiccup. Was dying and I want a second chance. I want a chance to right the wrongs I made. I want a chance to see the world as you do, with wonder and joy and a love for life and dragons. I want to understand them as you do, as equals and not creatures to sale for wealth and riches. You opened my eyes, Hiccup, and that I am eternally grateful.

My consciousness is fading to that of a child. My writing is becoming unstable. Please accept my apologies. I wish you and your beloved the greatest happiness and hope to one day see you again.

Sincerely yours,

Viggo Grimborn"

"He knew," Hiccup whispered, looking to Ryker as he adjusted to covers over the sleeping child. "He knew I was going to try and restore him."

"Aye," Ryker confirmed, looking back. "The selfish bastards wanted a second chance at life and now I'm saddled with him again."

Despite the words, Ryker actually smiled and gave the boy and adoring look.

"Of course a five year old must be much easier to control than a power hungry business man," Hiccup joked, wiping away the last of his tears. Why in Valhalla was he crying over Viggo Grimborn.

Ryker turned to him, his arms folded across his wide chest. "You really have no clue when it comes to children, do you? The only difference between a five year old Viggo and a grown up Viggo is the little one is less deadly." He gave a cheeky grin that Hiccup found himself returning with a small laugh.


	16. Chapter 16

"They won! They won!" Viggo yelled as he ran through his village back home. He waved a large piece of parchment that had arrived by Terror mail only minutes earlier. The Terrible Terror tiredly flew after him while Thunderbolt clung to his back to hitch a ride. The Skrill was still too small to fly long distances just yet.

It had been three months since Viggo left Dragons Edge and returned home with Ryker. In that time he had only received one other letter from Hiccup checking in to see how he was adjusting. Adjusting to what, Viggo was unsure. Perhaps to living with Ryker and his family and having rambunctious cousins he had never knew he had before. If so, Viggo was loving it. Aryn and Lars III ran behind him, trying to keep up as Viggo raced them to their hut.

Spring had come early and the grass was already turning green. Men and dragons worked the nearby fields. Viggo waved to one of his second cousins, Lars II, who asked what he was yelling about.

"They won!" was Viggo's only response as he darted behind the large hut next to the old castle.

He quickly spotted his Uncle Ryker lounging on a hand woven hammock with his wife, Laurel instead of gardening like they said they would be. Viggo didn't care. He kept onto the hammock as well, landing on Ryker's chest and shoved the parchment in his face with another happy squeal of "They won!"

The hammock nearly broke with the extra weight, especially when the other two boys jumped on as well.

"Whoa…whoa…wait a minute," Ryker yelled, trying to free himself from the sudden tangle of limbs. One of the boys had their knee in his groin, bearing down just a little too hard. He managed to move one over to his wife and balance the weight a little more evenly. "What are you squawking about?" he asked Viggo, who sat on his stomach as if it was his personal throne. The Skrill had smartly taken flight to afford be crushed in the pile up.

Viggo began bouncing excitedly and Ryker had to grab him into to keep everyone from falling. "It's from Hiccup. They won! They defeated Johann and Kogan."

"Krogan," Ryker corrected.

"Whatever, they won." Viggo stopped at the dark look Ryker gave him. "Sorry, Uncle Ryker."

There had been no easy way to explain what had happened to Viggo. Many of the tribesmen believes he was dead and several had betrayed him when they sided with Krogan and Johann. So to protect Viggo's child self Ryker stuck with the story a lot of the men already believed, that the child was Viggo's son and heir, and that not only his father had been killed but also his mother by Krogan. Ryker now had custody and was raising the child as his own. Since Viggo no longer remembered who he used to be and had begun to forget they were actually brothers, the story stuck together nicely. No one would dare touch the child for fear that Ryker would kill them, no questions asked. Viggo belonged to him, just as much as his own children, nieces and nephews and any other Ryker declared his kin.

"What does the letter say?" Laurel asked as Aryn lay on her chest. Viggo and Lars III did the same on Ryker, Viggo in the middle so everyone could see the parchment and read it out loud with Ryker's help on words he couldn't pronounce correctly.

"Dear Viggo,

I'm sorry I haven't more often but It's been crazy on the Edge. Johann went after my father when he failed to capture me. He's doing better now but I nearly lost him, so things have been hard.

But good news. It's over. We won. Johann is…well Johann is on ice. Literally. Dagur mores him to a cell but It's a strange type of ice. It doesn't melt like usual, so I guess that's how Johann is going to stay. I don't know it He's alive or not but We're not taking any chances.

As for Krogan, he and his flyers disappeared. Not one has seen or heard from them. We have ships and riders scanning for them but as far as I can tell He's gone which means whoever his client was is most likely gone as well, although both Dagur and Heather have increased the guard around Berserker Island. We all have with our respective islands. We're not taking anymore chances after Johann's betrayal.

In fact, I'm now back on Berk. We all are. The Edge was an amazing place but it was time to go home. I hope that one day we get to see each other again. Maybe play a game of Maces and Talons. A real game.

Take care, Viggo.

Your friend,

Hiccup"

Viggo craned his head and looked at Ryker upside down with a silly grin. "He even sent me my piece, the Allie." He showed Ryker the craved wooden game piece.

"So he did," Ryker agreed, inspecting the piece.

Viggo left it with him as he clambered off the hammock and started telling the other boys all about the Dragon Riders and dragon riding. For the next hour they pretended to be riders and eventually to other village children joined in. Ryker watched them with a mix of bewilderment. Not so long ago children pretended to hunt dragons, not ride them. There had been a shift of sorts when the Hunters came in contact with the riders and it wasn't all together a bad thing. It meant of change of business.

He studied the game piece in his hand. Perhaps it meant an even larger change than that.

. . .

Fourteen years later…

"VJ, hurry it up," Ryker called from the main floor.

Viggo gave an annoyed groan as he threw the last few things in his bag again. He had packed and repacked a good dozen times that week but still felt as if he was missing something. His aunt Laurel assured him it was just nervousness. It was his first voyage after all and nervousness was expected when meaning an old ally that rarely came to the island. In fact, the chief had yet visit. Apparently things had been crazy. The war had kept him occupied and then rebuilding his village and forging new alliances. Ryker often travelled to Berk with the Hunter fleet to join with others in order to take down Drago Bloodvist and his Bewilderbeast, but came at a huge cost to the ally forces. The Outcasts had nearly been wiped out as well as the Berserkers.

But that was nearly ten years ago. Now the ally forces had regrouped and were stronger than before. Drago and his Bewilderbeast were gone.

"Viggo Grimborn, get your butt down here or we'll leave you behind," his Uncle yelled, obviously not pleased with having to wait on him.

Viggo hesitated on last time before realizing what it was he was forgetting. He grasped the little wooden totem off his shelf and stuffed it in his vest pocket. Then, sparing a moment's glance at the portrait of him and his father, Viggo Sr – a gift from the Hooligan chief on his sixth birthday – He ran downstairs.

"Ready," he told his Uncle. Then, not waiting, he ran outside and whistled for Thunderbolt.

The Skrill flew from the clouds where it had been playing to attend his young rider. Three other teens were accompanying him on the voyage but they would receive their dragons until they reached Berk.

The voyage to Berk took a week, although Viggo was certain he could have cut the travel time by half if Ryker would only let him fly there. But his Uncle was over protective preferred to keep a close eye on him. Viggo was pretty sure it had something to due with how his father died protecting the Hooligan chief before he became chief. There wasn't much talk about it other than Viggo Sr had been a hero and great chief. Not everyone thought so but that was what was recorded in their books. Viggo wasn't sure what to think.

He still got letters from Hiccup at least once a month, sometimes more often. They played a long distance game of Maces and Talons and so far Hiccup seemed to be winning. Viggo wasn't sure why that annoyed him, but he loved the letters all the same. That was why they were visiting now. It was a nation wide invite for potential young riders to join the Dragon academy. It was the first Nation Wide Dragon Academy. Four lucky teens from each ally tribe were invited. Viggo had made the top of the list due to already riding a dragon, a Skrill no less.

. . .

Hiccup hovered over the game board, eyeing it for a long time as Toothless lumbered away of his rock slab. Viggo's latest move left him a little perplexed. He had placed his chief right in the path of Hiccup's army. It seemed a foolish move but the boy was anything but foolish. Even as a youth with no memories of his former self, Viggo was cunning so this particular move had to mean something. Viggo wouldn't sacrifice himself without reason.

"Are you seriously still staring at that board?" Astrid asked, coming up behind him and wrapping his heavy fur cloak over his shoulders.

"I just don't understand what he's trying to do with this move," he answered, stroking his beard in thought.

A lot had changed in fourteen years. Hiccup was now a man and chief of his tribe. He was a father and husband and over time he had allowed himself to grow a small nut well trimmed beard and his hair now fell below his shoulder and was often kept in a tight braid as his father had before him. Stoick had passed away long ago but there were days when his death was like an open wound in Hiccup's heart.

He smiled when his wife turned him around, their third child crawling at their feet.

"Why don't you ask him when he gets here? Or have you forgotten their envoy is due today?" she teased. She scooped up their child and held her on her hip. "In fact, they should be arriving any time. As well as our other guests. So stop fussing over a silly game and go greet your guests."

A small laugh escape him. "Alright, m'lady," he said, kissing her cheek. "But I need my general by my side."

"I'll be there," she promised, shooing him off.

Berk was a buzz with activity as ships began to dock at the piers and dragons from neighboring islands landed with the heads of state. Hiccup was greeted with open arms and fierce hugs from King Dagur and his Queen Mala, both representing their individual islands alongside Chief Heather of the Berserkers. Dagur had given his chiefdom to his sister when he became king, but still served beside her as an advisor. He often represented both Berserk and the Defenders of the Wing but preferred when his sister and his wife were next to him.

Alvin the Treacherous came as well. He had retired some years back but still travelled along side the new Outcast chief, Robert the Bold. Bog-Burglars and Wanderers arrived as well.

All the teens and their respective leaders gathered at the Dragon Academy. Hiccup tried to see through the crowd, hoping he could spot Viggo. With dozen a mingling teens it was hard but he was certain he caught sight of familiar raven hair if only for a moment. It wasn't until the horns blared and the teen separated into their tribes that Hiccup finally spotted him.

It was a crazy sensation seeing someone he knew as a grown man and then a small child to suddenly have standing before you as a teenager. Hiccup found his mouth had gone dry and the words he had been practising since inviting Viggo to Berk were gone. The child was not yet a man nut he could almost see the old Viggo hidden under the slim lanky build, not yet muscular from years of trapping dragons. Something the Hunters no longer did.

He glanced toward Astrid as she stood next to him and took his hand. "Ready?" she asked.

He glanced toward their three children, watching from the stands with their grandmother. He gave a nod. "Ready as ever."

The opening speech was probably the easiest part of the ceremony as he welcome the visiting tribes and the teen representing them. He smiled widely and once he was done he stepped back to let the other leaders take over.

"Hooligans," Astrid yelled out. The four new riders for the Hooligan tribe yelled out their salute to the general and stomped the ground loudly as their dragons cried out in greeting behind them.

"Berserkers," Heather called next. There were wolf howls in response to their chef and the clang of short swords used for ceremony.

Dagur stood next to her and gave a grin. "Defenders," he shouted. Their response was similar to the Berserkers which made both Mala and Dagur grin and Heather hide as happy smile.

And the call continued until they reached the Hunters. Ryker, now much older, his mustache more grey than black, stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "Hunters!" he bellowed.

The teens shouted back in unison and came to attention, Viggo in the lead, decorative spears at their sides. From the back Thunderbolt echoed their cry and the crackle of electricity could be heard. Ryker gave Viggo a look but the boy kept a straight face and look forward.

Hiccup was impressed. Had it been him and Toothless he might have cracked a smile.

Now that all the groups had been introduced and were at attention, Hiccup took control again. Toothless came forward with him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to our twenty-eight newest riders. Each tribe will have their own house on Dragon's Edge. Houses have been chosen according to each tribe's skill set and will change every year. The Hooligans will have house Nadder. Berserkers will have house Skrill. Wanderers will have house Gronkle. Bog-burglars house Zippleback. Outcasts house Monstrous Nightmare. Hunters house Night Fury." He saw Viggo's face light up and couldn't help but smile. "Finally, Defenders have house Razerwhip."

"These are your houses for this school year," Astrid continued, taking over for a moment. She squeezed Hiccup's hand when his attention wandered to Viggo, unable to stop looking at the youth. "After tonight's feast you will gather your things and meet on the docks. Your instructors will be waiting for you there and will take you to Dragons Edge where you will spend the next year training to be Dragon Riders." She waited for the cheering to end, a wide smile on her face before yelling, "Dismissed!"

Hiccup had never seen a happier group of people. He watched them with growing excitement. The next generation of Dragon Riders. He winced slightly when Dagur have him a big hug.

"Good turn out, brother," he congratulated Hiccup before letting go. "Although I see you intention is on our little VJ." He kept one arm around Hiccup's shoulders as he watched the youth as well. "Are you sure you're doing the right thing? Ryker wanted you two separated to avoid any possible old Viggo memories resurfacing."

"I know," Hiccup admitted.

It had been fourteen years since he last saw Viggo. He had promised not to interfere in his new life but now with the war over and the tribes healing it was time.

He looked to Ryker. They had already discussed it on his last visit but it was still the Hunter's decision. Ryker was Viggo's guardian, at least for one more year. The man gave a nod before walking away with Spitlout to talk about only Odin knew what.

"VJ," Hiccup called, stepping away from Dagur. His brother patted his shoulder before walking away.

Viggo looked away from Thunderbolt, who had entered the ring the moment people started filing out. The Skrill was full grown now and towered over his young rider in a protective manner. The young man stared at Hiccup for a long moment, his eyes searching, as if trying to find something. He gave a shy smile and nodded. "Chief Hiccup," he greeted. He glanced around for Ryker then bit his lip when he realized they were alone.

"Do you remember me?" Hiccup asked, his voice suddenly soft and worried. "Not just from the letters, but when we last saw each other?"

There was a pained look on the boy's face and Hiccup instantly regretted his decision to try and reacquainted himself with youth. Ryker was right, he should just let the boy be rather than doing this whole new dragon academy. Viggo was better off forgetting who Hiccup was. He was better forgetting the past.

"I remember," Viggo suddenly answered. He looked up at his Skrill then pressed his forehead against the shiny purple scales of it's neck. "I remember things that I know never happened to me. At least not in this life." He took a deep breath and turned to Hiccup. "But mostly when I look at you, when I heard you speak, I didn't see as you are now but you when you were my age and our roles were reversed. Why?"

Hiccup stared at him for a long time before he smiled softly. "That's a very long story," Hiccup answered. "And I think those memories are more your father's than your own. Would you like to talk about him?"

Viggo looked back to his dragon then at Hiccup's pro-offered hand. No one ever spoke of his father other than to say he had helped end the war by saving Hiccup Haddock III. And while a part of him knew the memories he had couldn't possibly belong to someone else he was anxious to talk with someone who understood and maybe knew what he was talking about. And maybe, just maybe, Hiccup held the answers to who he was and where he was meant to go in this life. Because wherever he went Thunderbolt would follow as he led the next generation of riders into the future.

Fin

Okay, I know in the books and httyd3 the dragons are supposed to disappear but let's forget all that and let Viggo be the next dragon rider leader


End file.
